Josh Hart with an ‘unpleasant’ performance in the loss to the Kings

The New York Knicks suffered a humiliating 112-101 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night, battling through one of their worst shooting nights of the season. The loss exacerbated New York’s lack of success on the road, dropping their record from Madison Square Garden to 8-11.

The game unraveled early. The Knicks fell behind 16-8 to point guard Jalen Brunson, who has been battling persistent right ankle problems. left the contest with 7:01 left in the first quarter after spinning it while trying to pass Maxime Renault. Brunson tried to continue but was unable to returnfinished with just four points in five minutes, the lowest score in nearly two years. Without their star guard, New York’s offense floundered, shooting 8-for-41 (20%) from three-point range and 39% overall.

Karl-Anthony Towns tried to take over, but finished with 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting, all in the first half. Myles McBride, who stepped in at point guard, was also ineffective, scoring four points on 4-of-14 shooting. The Knicks’ offense never recovered, scoring just 42 points in the first half, their lowest opening 24 minutes of the season.

The New York Guardian Josh Hartwho in 32 minutes gave 10 points, five rebounds and assists, described the performance as “shameful” and took responsibility for the team’s lack of intensity. “It starts with me,” Hart said, referring to the wide layup he allowed on the first possession. Hart emphasized that the team’s defensive lapses, not bad shots, were the bigger problem in the loss.

Sacramento broke away early and never relinquished control. Former Nick Presas Achiuva scored a game-high 20 points with 14 rebounds, including six offensive boards, in 38 minutes. DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points, passing Kevin Garnett for 22nd on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, while Zach LaVine added 25 points. Veteran Russell Westbrook added 19 points, 11 assists and six rebounds, leading the Kings to their third straight victory.

New York’s limited success came from Mitchell Robinson, who had eight points and 11 rebounds (seven offensive) in 19 minutes, and Mikal Bridges, who led the starters with 19 points on 6-of-20 shooting. OG Anunoby had 15 points but missed all six of his three-point attempts. The Knicks fell behind their reserves late, with Jordan Clarkson scoring 11 points and Tyler Kolek and Gershon Yabusele combining for a few late baskets, but the deficit remained too great to overcome.

A cold night shooting the ball made things worse for New York. They missed 33 three-point attempts, 8-for-41, and were outrebounded by Sacramento 48-43. The Kings shot 47% from the field and 84% from the free throw line, taking advantage of the Knicks’ defensive deficiencies and lack of cohesion without Brunson.

New York will now focus on Thursday night’s matchup against the Golden State Warriors in the Bay Area, hoping to bounce back from an “embarrassing” performance.