New York Knicks: Grades and reactions to comeback win over Kings

The New York Knicks came back from a double-digit point deficit to defeat the Sacramento Kings on the road.

For three quarters, the New York Knicks appeared to be on their way to their 21st loss. The Sacramento Kings’ Buddy Hield was unleashing from 3-point range, and interim coach Mike Miller‘s team had trouble stopping anything on the road.

However, a 31-21 run in the fourth quarter took the Knicks ahead by the same score as their victory over Golden State, 103-101. Surprise, surprise: New York has its first winning streak of 2019-20.

As a result, who stepped up for the team along the way? Let’s look at the grades for this game:

Without the eight 3-point attempts, Julius Randle shot 7-for-9 from the field. That’s pretty great, and MSG Network’s Mike Breen even called out the veteran power forward for taking too many outside shots. While these longer shots went down Friday night, they have struggled to be made with consistency throughout this 6-20 start.

Besides that, Randle had 26 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Not too shabby to help winning efforts.

Elfrid Payton‘s return to the backcourt has produced some fresh air at point guard. Frank Ntilikina continues to start and defend well, but the sixth-year man’s ball movement and ability to attack the rim have been welcomed sights for this struggling team.

On 16 points, four rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes off the bench, Payton made his latest case to potentially start for the Knicks. If not that, he’s a strong option for them off the bench.

Mitchell Robinson didn’t overwhelm the game for New York, but he played solid defense and put up a fine 14 points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes. He did it on a strong 7-for-9 shooting in this narrow win.

Marcus Morris‘ night was nothing special, posting 10 points, five rebounds and five assists on 4-for-12 shooting. His late shot-making helped the Knicks move forward, however, including pushing the lead to five points down the stretch.

RJ Barrett returned to relevance in the team’s previous game, but his eight points on 4-for-14 shooting went by quietly. He still played a team-high 31 minutes, adding four rebounds and two assists. While still just a rookie, the Knicks need some consistency from the No. 3 overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft.

Other takeaways

• Dennis Smith Jr. was available after missing Wednesday’s game with an illness, but he did not reach the court during this game. That’s a developing situation for his role with the team, under a new coach that’s less inclined to play him than the previous one, especially with Payton and Ntilikina around.
• There was no sign of the Knicks stopping Buddy Hield in the first half. He finished the game with 34 points on 14-for-23 shooting and six 3-pointers.
• Kevin Knox‘s offensive struggled remained apparent, but he added one block and one steal to offer some defensive effort.

The New York Knicks will return to the court on Sunday, Dec. 15 against the Denver Nuggets.