Two weeks ago, the Knicks took a gut punch from the Sacramento Kings - a 112-101 loss that stood out as one of their worst of the season. On Tuesday night, they got their chance to respond - and while it took some time, they delivered a fourth-quarter knockout at Madison Square Garden, grinding out a 103-87 win over an undermanned Kings squad.
This one wasn’t pretty. The Knicks turned the ball over a season-high 21 times.
They let Sacramento hang around for three quarters. But when it mattered most, they locked in - and their stars stepped up.
Karl-Anthony Towns was the spark to start the fourth. He drilled a three just 20 seconds into the period to give the Knicks the lead for good, then hit another from deep to stretch the margin.
That was especially notable considering that just three days earlier, Towns had been on the bench during the closing minutes of a tight win in Philadelphia. This time, he was the one igniting the run.
Head coach Mike Brown continued to stagger the minutes of Towns and Jalen Brunson, and it paid off. While Towns got things rolling, Brunson was resting.
But with 6:51 left and the Knicks up four, Brunson checked back in - and took over. He scored 11 of his team-high 28 points down the stretch, playing closer like he has so many times this season.
Brunson finished the night 9-of-17 from the field, while Towns posted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, despite a rough shooting night (5-of-15). Mikal Bridges chipped in 18 points, and Mitchell Robinson gave the Knicks a strong lift off the bench with seven points and 13 rebounds - including a highlight-reel put-back dunk to close the first quarter.
That dunk capped a strong opening frame for New York, who led 36-26 after one behind 10 points from Brunson and nine from Bridges. But the second quarter was a different story.
Sacramento clawed back, riding a 9-0 run late in the half to briefly take the lead. DeMar DeRozan capped that spurt with a three-pointer - part of a 22-point first half for the Kings’ star - before Towns answered with a driving layup to give the Knicks a 52-51 lead at the break.
DeRozan was a problem all night, finishing with 34 points on an efficient shooting night. And he had to be, with Sacramento missing Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, and Malik Monk due to injuries. Former Knick Precious Achiuwa, now starting for the Kings, added six points and five boards in his return to the Garden.
The third quarter was a tug-of-war. The Knicks had a chance to build on a four-point lead late in the period, but OG Anunoby committed turnovers on three straight possessions, leading to two quick buckets by rookie Nique Clifford. Just like that, the game was tied at 72 heading into the fourth.
But that’s when the Knicks finally pulled away. They outscored the Kings 31-15 in the final 12 minutes, tightening up on defense and leaning on their stars to close the door.
Tuesday marked Mike Brown’s second game against his former team. He coached the Kings from 2022 to 2024, leading them to a 48-34 record in 2022-23 and snapping their 16-year playoff drought - the longest in NBA history.
That season earned him unanimous NBA Coach of the Year honors. But less than seven months after signing a multi-year extension, Brown was let go midway through the 2024-25 season with Sacramento sitting at 13-18.
Since then, the Kings have gone 39-59. One of those wins, though, came against Brown’s Knicks just two weeks ago - a game where Brunson exited early with an ankle injury and the Kings were missing Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray.
That loss kicked off a four-game skid for New York. But now, they’ve won three straight and seem to be finding their rhythm again. With a 28-18 record, the Knicks are climbing back into the Eastern Conference mix - and they’ll look to keep that momentum going Wednesday night in Toronto.