This article will showcase three keys that the Sacramento Kings should focus on in tonight’s game against the New York Knicks.
The Sacramento Kings look to extend their winning streak tonight as they face off against the New York Knicks. The Kings are recently coming off a thrilling victory against the Philadelphia 76ers which ended in a game-winning shot made by De’Aaron Fox. With the momentum high for Sacramento right now, will it carry over with them in the Big Apple?
Here are three keys that the purple and white should focus on today in order to be successful in their attempt to beat New York.
Play Fast
Sacramento’s offense has not been great this year, especially their half-court offense. A possible solution to this problem is if the Kings play fast.
What I mean by this is once the Kings gain possession of the ball, they must run up the court and try to get early shots up in order to prevent the Knicks from getting into their defensive sets. Sacramento definitely has the athletes to play fast, and in my opinion, this approach has given them the most success in scoring this season.
In order to achieve playing fast tonight, it also means that Sacramento needs to get defensive stops. The Kings will not be able to run up and down the court if the Knicks keep scoring because it will give New York time to run back and set up their defense.
So a major key for the Kings: Get stops on defense, and when they gain possession of the ball, play fast and look to score quick.
Perimeter Shooting
The main part of the Kings’ recent success has been because of their perimeter shooting. In the last two games, the Kings have shot 41.2% from the three-point line.
For the Kings’ offense to succeed tonight, their perimeter shooting must be solid. Players on the Kings who will mostly get into this aspect of the game will likely be Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and George Hill. If Sacramento is able to make their jump shots, it will be huge in boosting their offense.
Stopping Prozingis
Kristaps Prozingis has been an absolute monster this season. For the year, the Knicks’ franchise player is averaging 30 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game. The Kings will likely fail to completely halt the Knicks’ star, but containing him is a much realistic feat.
Players like Willie Cauley-Stein, Kosta Koufos, and Zach Randolph will take on the bulk of this assignment. If they are able to prevent Porzingis from going off, it should keep the Kings competitive throughout the game.