Kings at Knicks
After struggling to match up against the class of the West, the Knicks are eager to see how they fare against the worst that conference has to offer. They'll get a chance to do just that as they entertain the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night. New York watched Kevin Durant torch them for 41 points in a 112-100 Oklahoma City victory, but will be facing a Kings team playing the second game of a back-to-back after losing 109-99 in Cleveland.
The Knicks have reportedly rekindled their interested in Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, who would invigorate the New York offense but is expected to command a hefty price tag. An elite distributor would make a significant difference for a Knicks team that ranks among the bottom of the league in assists per game (20.3). The Kings are even worse off, sitting 29th in assists after managing just 18 against the Cavaliers.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, CSCA (Sacramento), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE KINGS (17-35): Sacramento is blessed with several decent offensive options, but can't seem to get them all going at the same time. That trend sunk the Kings in their loss to Cleveland, as DeMarcus Cousins scored a team-high 21 points but didn't get much help from Isaiah Thomas (16 points, 1-for-6 from 3-point range) or Rudy Gay (14 points, 4-of-12 from the field). Gay, in particular, has struggled of late, shooting a combined 6-of-23 over his last two games.
ABOUT THE KNICKS (20-31): New York looked like it might be shorthanded against the Kings, but received good news on a pair of injury fronts Tuesday. Sixth man J.R. Smith suffered a fractured left cheekbone in Sunday's loss to the Thunder, but is expected to wear a protective face mask and will be in the lineup Wednesday. Rookie guard Tim Hardaway Jr. suffered a left leg injury in Tuesday's practice, but head coach Mike Woodson said he should be good to go versus Sacramento.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The teams have split their last 10 meetings dating back to 2008.
2. Anthony averages 23 points and 6.7 rebounds in 25 career games versus the Kings.
3. New York is 5-13 against Western Conference foes.