The New York Knicks (40-27) faced off against the Sacramento Kings (38-28) at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday in the second of a four-game Western Conference tour. The trip started on the right foot, with a win against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday. Domantas Sabonis and the Kings promised a more serious challenge, however.
The game began with both teams grinding each other’s gears, leading to a tight first-quarter finish and the high-scoring Kings feeling thoroughly stymied. A closely contested first half included seven ties and 14 lead changes, but the Knicks kept the clamps on the home team and led 53-48 at intermission.