The Knicks had no time to dwell on Wednesday's lopsided loss in Utah. By the time the media entered the locker toom, they had already turned their attention to the Kings -- another test for Derek Fisher's team on a challenging Western Conference road trip.
Once again, New York found itself trailing big in a hostile road environment.
Fisher won't be happy about the hole they dug, but the Knicks exhibited determination and toughness as they battled back from 19 down to give themselves the chance to win on the final possession. Carmelo Anthony's contested 3-pointer glanced off and Kristaps Porzingis' jump was a beat too early to allow a tip-in attempt, but the effort was there in a narrow 99-97 loss.
Sacramento dictated the tempo out of the gates, forcing 11 turnovers in the first half and converting them into 15 fastbreak points. Fisher implored his team to stay patient and execute its offense in the half court, and the Knicks hung tough; despite shooting just 36.6 percent, they were within seven at halftime.
The third quarter haunted New York for the second straight night, as the Kings stretched the lead to 19 with 3 minutes and 10 seconds remaining. But New York would answer with a 10-0 run to help cut the deficit to seven entering the fourth. From there, Fisher went small and the Knicks continued to chip away.
With Arron Afflalo (14 points) at small forward, Anthony (23 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists) at power forward, and Porzingis (13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists, 2 steals) matched up with DeMarcus Cousins at center, the Knicks matched Sacramento's physicality. They were able to get stops and push the pace as Langston Galloway scored 7 of his 9 points in the final period.
They battled to the end: Melo's 3 with 1:02 to play cut it to two, as did Porzingis' two free throws with 16 seconds left. Afflalo's clutch steal with :05 on the clock put his team in position to win or tie.