Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie acknowledged offensive struggles and missed opportunities following a 103-87 loss to the New York Knicks on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.
Christie noted the absence of Zach LaVine but credited DeMar DeRozan for his effort. “Debo did everything that he could. So you know you can’t play him the whole 48 minutes. But when we were able to play through him we got a lot of really good looks,” Christie said.
Despite generating quality shot attempts late, the Kings shot just 16 percent from three-point range. Christie said, “I mean 16% isn’t going to cut it obviously from the three-point line. And, you know, this is a make or miss league.”
The first quarter deficit also weighed on the team, according to Christie. “Minus 10 in the first quarter. We could have been better there. But there’s a compete level that we met and we were finding our way,” he said.
Christie explained that a late offensive drought contributed to the decisive Knicks run. “The fourth quarter we go through an offensive drought and all of a sudden can’t make any shots, can’t score,” he said.
While the Kings struggled offensively, Christie clarified that it did not carry over to their defense. “No. I think they, you know, they made shots. I mean, they got a MVP candidate in Brunson. And, you know, he made a few shots and no, not tonight,” Christie said.
The loss extended Sacramento’s skid to six straight games and dropped them further in the Western Conference standings at 12-36. DeRozan led the team with 34 points, while Russell Westbrook added 14.
New York dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring the Kings 31-15 after a 72-all tie through three periods. Karl-Anthony Towns sparked the run with two deep three-pointers, while Jalen Brunson scored 28 points and Mikal Bridges added 18. OG Anunoby contributed 15 points despite the Knicks committing 21 turnovers.
Christie stressed that consistency will be key moving forward. “If we play to that level consistently we’ll win our fair share of games,” he said.
Both teams will hit the road next: the Kings visit Philadelphia on Thursday, and the Knicks face Toronto on Wednesday.
