The Sacramento Kings stunned the New York Knicks 112-101, pulling off the biggest upset of the season. On a night that was supposed to be a Mike Brown revenge game, the Kings did the unthinkable. Coach Doug Christie was ecstatic over how his team played in the victory over New York, especially Precious Achiuwa, according to Kings' beat writer James Ham.
“‘Grown man basketball all the way around,' -Doug Christie on Precious Achiuwa's 20-point, 14-rebound game,” Ham wrote on X.
Achiuwa was essential in the win over the Knicks, shooting 7 of 14 while being a force on the boards. Significantly, he was in the starting lineup because Keegan Murray suffered an ankle injury a couple of weeks ago. But Achiuwa did his part and helped the Kings win, which has been rare this season, as they are just 11-30.
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DeMar DeRozan was the leading scorer, scoring 27 points on 7 of 16 shooting with six rebounds and five assists. Meanwhile, Zach LaVine added 25 points on 8 of 14 shooting. Russell Westbrook added 20 points on 7 of 14 shooting with 11 assists. Likewise, Malik Monk came off the bench with nine points.
The Kings shot 47.3% from the field, including 37% from the triples. Also, they held the Knicks to 39% shooting, including just 19.8% from beyond the arc. Sacramento also shot 84.2% (32 of 38) from the free-throw line. Moreover, they won the board battle 48-45 and had six blocked shots.
This was a significant win for a team battling numerous injuries and setbacks. In addition to Murray, Domantas Sabonis is out with a torn meniscus and has not played for over a month. While the Kings have struggled mightily this season, this was a nice break from it, as they played their most complete game of the season.