The Knicks acknowledged that their opponents on Friday night were the ones looking for loose balls, blocking shots and playing like the most famous team that desperately needed a win.
The Kings had dropped their previous four games and played well, while the Knicks made up for a bad night of shooting with a lack of intensity for much of the second half to end their three-game winning streak.
Although RJ Barrett warned after the improved Knicks (8-9) “they haven’t done anything yet,” Julius Randle, a target of Sacramento’s consistent double-team defense, stressed that they should never deviate from energy and defense. -first style scoring his .500 start before his 103-94 defeat to the Kings.
“Absolutely, that’s really what it’s all about, especially coming out of the second night back. It’s about being a dog, just fighting, about our energy, “Randle said, referring to the Knicks’ impressive victory the night before at Golden State in opening a four-game road trip.” It really had nothing to do with it [the Kings]. We just have to come out with the right mindset that, under the circumstances, we will do whatever it takes to win.
“I think mostly [Friday] it was a little up and down. It was a weird game, but things happen. It was a learning experience for us and we will be back soon. ”
The Knicks (8-9) fell 1-2 in the second half of consecutive games this season, after defeating Milwaukee on Dec. 27 and losing to Charlotte on Jan. 11. Coach Tom Thibodeau agreed that not being the most famous side in any game is a recipe for his team’s failure.
“I think all the teams [believes that]. That’s the challenge of the league, ”Thibodeau said.“ In wins, in losses, but the next day (and you usually see it in the playoffs all the time) comes the team that wins the previous game [needing] more advantageous the next game, so never lower your guard or feel too good about yourself. “
The Knicks also fell 5-5 on the road this season, with games against Portland (8-6) on Sunday and Utah on Tuesday completing the road trip. Thibodeau thought his team was not playing with his “usual high energy” and was “trapped” in the second half against the Kings, who gained a 12-point lead behind guardians De’Aaron Fox and rookie Tyrese Haliburton.
Haliburton, who later said he was “personally fed” by the Knicks who passed him with the No. 8 pick in the 2020 draft, accounted for 16 points, two steals and four of Sacramento’s 14 blocked shots.
“You have to be prepared to start from the beginning to the end,” Thibodeau said. “There are different challenges every night, whether it’s travel or back to back, you may be shortened, whatever it is.
“You want to generate that consistency in terms of how you prepare, how much you play, how smart you play and how you play together. It’s a team sport, so you trust everyone to do it together. Yes we fall short in an area that may affect the execution of your offense or your defense, you want to learn from each situation and get ready for the next one. “