Representative defense is often a milestone in the NBA, and a distinct quality that must be translated whether games are played at home or on the road.
As the Knicks have learned more than once this season, however, it is almost impossible to cover up a bad shot at the other end.
Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks had fought on the defensive end by posting three consecutive wins to undo the skid from five previous games, but dropped to less than 0.500 this season with a frustrating 103-94 loss on Friday to the Kings in Sacramento, California.
Julius Randle scored 26 points with 15 rebounds despite the constant doubles, but the Knicks (8-9) failed to overcome a 5-in-22 pitch in the 3-point range or a 12-point deficit in the fourth period, failing to build Thursday’s defensively strong win at the Golden State with a second straight win to open a four-game trip to the West.
“From the middle of the first and second periods, I thought we played well. The third quarter started well, but then we stopped and obviously didn’t finish well, ”said Thibodeau. “They were swarming and we were obviously not shooting. And when you’re not shooting, it’s sometimes difficult. I liked the fight, but obviously we would like to end it better than we did. “
De’Aaron Fox scored 22 points, Harrison Barnes had 21 and the impressive new playmaker Tyrese Haliburton – the 12th overall choice in the 2020 draft, four choices after the Knicks caught Obi Toppin – contributed 16 points, four blocks and two steals in 31 minutes off the bench when the Kings stopped their four game losing streak.
The Knicks had only 3 of 18 long distance for three quarters and lost 76-72 in the last 12 minutes. A 3 from Glenn Robinson III and a jump from Cory Joseph just four minutes into the fourth game increased Sacramento’s lead to 12, 86-74.
A 3-point basket from Alec Burks and a converted three-point play from Randle marked a 13-3 straight and brought the Knicks back in two with 4:30 remaining. But Haliburton’s 3: 2:35 left a 7-0 streak in Sacramento to replenish the lead to 96-87.
“We will always do that. We will always try to fight to the end, no matter what, ”said RJ Barrett. “We definitely haven’t done anything yet. I think we are still trying to learn and find out how to win and how a team bring it in every night. “
Barrett finished with 21 points out of 8 out of 17 shots one night after setting a 28-year career record against the Warriors, while Mitchell Robinson contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds to the Knicks. Toppin had six in 12 minutes for the Knicks, whose trip continues Sunday night in Portland before ending Tuesday in Utah.
The Knicks entered the game first in the NBA with the fewest points allowed (102.8 per game), while keeping opponents in the lowest percentage of field goal (43.0 percent) and 3 percentage points (30.7 Percent).
Luke Walton’s Kings, meanwhile, won the most points in the league – 123.0 per game – in the first 15 games. But they recorded 14 blocks, the best of the season, including six from the center Richaun Holmes.
The Knicks’ intensity seemed to calm down, however, after taking a 54-49 lead in the third quarter. Barnes’ layup and Buddy Hield’s 3 points in the middle helped the Kings regain the lead, 68-67, and bring a four-point cushion into the room.
“It wasn’t the usual high energy [in the third quarter]”Said Thibodeau. “Sometimes, when you’re on a back-to-back, you have to fight these things. I liked the fight in the fourth period, but we didn’t close it. “