SACRAMENTO -- Over the last two weeks, the Kings have shown that they can play with the best in the NBA. On Monday at Golden 1 Center, they gave a reminder of how they can play down to their competition as well.
Needing a win to keep pace in the Western Conference standings, the Kings allowed the last-place New York Knicks to stick around way longer than they should have.
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Allonzo Trier put up big numbers, but in the end, the Kings’ high-powered offense was too much for the Knicks, and Sacramento picked up the 115-108 victory.
Here are three takeaways as the Kings snapped their skid to move back over the .500 mark at 32-31 on the season:
Giles to the Rescue
The Kings couldn’t quite figure out how to put the Knicks away in this game, until Harry Giles went to work to start the fourth.
The 20-year-old big ripped down a two-handed jam to start the period. He followed it with a half hook in the lane, and he hammered down an alley-oop when New York made a run.
With Marvin Bagley on the shelf, Giles has strung together three quality performances. Against the Knicks, he finished with 17 points 7-of-9 shooting and chipped in seven rebounds and two assists.
After helping build the lead, Giles was tossed from the game with a flagrant two at the 5:07 mark of the fourth. While trying to get post position, Giles came in high with an elbow.
NBA
Stat Stuffing
Buddy Hield is known for his 3-point shooting. He’s even known for his ability to rip down a rebound. Against the Knicks, he filled in all the boxes.
Sacramento’s leading scorer went to work, putting up a team-high 28 points on 9-for-18 from the field and 7-of-7 from the line.
In addition to the scoring, Hield dished out six assists, grabbed six rebounds and picked up two steals.
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Fitting in
When the Kings traded for Harrison Barnes, it was with the understanding that they were getting another offensive weapon.
Through his eight games with the Kings, he has averaged a modest 11.5 points per game on just 36.8 percent from the field and 28.6 from behind the arc.
Against New York, Barnes moved to open spots and his teammates found him. He finished with 22 points on 7-for-13 shooting, including three makes from 3-point range. He added 10 rebounds, making Monday one of his most complete games in a Kings uniform.