How It Happened: The Knicks looked to be in cruise control as they held a 21-point advantage early in the third quarter. Sacramento blasted back on a 21-2 run to narrow the gap to just one point late in the third period, leading to a competitive contest down the stretch. Willie Cauley-Stein scored an And-1 at the 4:51 mark of the fourth quarter to trim the lead to 96-94. Carmelo Anthony delivered in the clutch with a bomb from downtown with 3:22 remaining and then a running off-balance jumper to push New York’s lead to 103-96 and only 34 seconds on the game clock. The Knicks held off the Kings and DeMarcus Cousins, who finished with a game-high 36 points on 30 shot attempts from the floor. New York connected on 38 percent of its shots from the 3-point line and limited the visiting team to just 32 percent from the floor and arc. Sunday’s win improved the Knicks to 11-9 on the season with three straight wins and seven victories in their last 10 outings (9-3 at MSG).
Knick of the Night: Derrick Rose sliced the Kings defense for 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists. New York’s point guard hit 9-of-14 from the floor on the opposite side of the floor as Darren Collison.
Notables: Anthony hit timely buckets in his 20-point performance, Brandon Jennings enjoyed a solid evening with 19 points off the pine, and Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle O’Quinn combined for 23 boards.
News and Notes: Joakim Noah returned to the lineup and started at the center spot. He logged 24 minutes in the win. Courtney Lee was sidelined due to an ankle injury and is considered day-to-day. Justin Holiday started in in his place, finishing with five points and eight rebounds in 22 minutes.
Statistically Speaking: New York registered 17 second chance points in Sunday’s victory.
Next Up: The Knicks will hit the practice floor tomorrow afternoon in New York before a flight to Miami for Tuesday’s contest against the Heat.
