Kings rally to edge Knicks in OT

NEW YORK — A double-digit, second-half deficit and the loss of their top player, center DeMarcus Cousins, wasn’t enough to derail the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.

The Kings turned back the New York Knicks 106-101 in overtime at Madison Square Garden.

Sacramento got a career-high 24 points from guard Jimmer Fredette, who hit six of eight 3-point attempts. Forward Rudy Gay added 20 points for the Kings (18-35).

The Kings ended their seven-game road losing streak, and they finished 1-3 on their East Coast trip. The last game Sacramento won on the road was Jan. 21 at New Orleans.

Cousins scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds before limping off the court with a strained left hip flexor with 3:15 to go in regulation. He recorded a double-double for the 21st time in the past 22 games.

Forward Carmelo Anthony topped New York with 36 points, but he scored only four points in the fourth quarter and overtime. He made only one of eight shots over the final 17 minutes.

Anthony was on the court for the entire fourth quarter and OT.

“I didn’t even give him (Anthony) a chance to get a break,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. “When Iman (Shumpert) went out, I elected to ride Melo the rest of the way, and we didn’t get it done.”

Shumpert left the game in the third quarter with a strained left hip flexor. He finished with eight points, three steals and two turnovers.

Forward Amar’e Stoudemire continued his stellar play off the Knicks’ bench, scoring 20 points and grabbing eight rebounds.

The Knicks, who scored just two baskets in overtime, fell to 2-2 in OT games. The Kings are 3-2 in overtime.

New York (20-32) lost for the fifth time in six games. The Knicks head into the All-Star break in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, 2 1/2 games out of the final playoff position.

“I didn’t expect us to be in the situation that we are in right now,” Anthony said. “We have to fight through t.”

A 3-pointer from Gay and a breakaway dunk from forward Derrick Williams gave the Kings a 98-93 lead with 2:28 to go in overtime. The Knicks didn’t score their first field goal in the extra session until 1:37 remained.

Forward Jason Thompson increased the Kings’ lead to 102-98 on a layup with one minute left.

Gay sank a midrange jumper to knot the score at 93-93 with 20.8 remaining in regulation. Fredette drained two long 3-pointers, the second with 1:25 to play, to draw the Kings to within 93-91.

“My shots were falling, so I continued to be aggressive,” Fredette said. “It was there for me, but I was also trying to create.”

Sacramento coach Michael Malone credited Fredette, who led Division I in scoring in 2010-11 and was named the National Player of the Year at BYU, with altering Wednesday’s game.

“I give him credit,” Malone said. “This hasn’t been an easy season for Jimmer, and I realize that. At times his playing time has been a little inconsistent. But one thing I’ve been telling him lately, and I sent him a text the other night, is that I still believe in him.”

Sacramento tied it at 81-81 on two free throws from Williams with 6:43 to play, but Stoudemire scored six straight points to give the Knicks an 87-83 edge with 4:58 to play.

The Knicks led 74-72 after three quarters despite going 6:22 without a bucket from the floor. Anthony provided the offense with 10 points in the period.

Fredette sat the entire third quarter, and the Kings trailed 64-52 early in the period.

New York ended the second quarter on an 8-2 run to grab a 54-48 halftime lead. Stoudemire scored four of his 10 first-half points in the blitz.

Sacramento opened the second quarter with a 21-6 burst, ignited by 15 points from Fredette off the bench, to move ahead 43-39. The Kings sank eight of their 12 shots in the sequence.

“It was about to be a 25-point game, and (Fredette’s) ability to come in that first half and get us back into it was huge,” Malone said.

Anthony connected on seven of nine shots in the first quarter, scoring 17 points to help the Knicks to a 33-22 advantage. New York shot a blistering 70 percent in the quarter.

NOTES: Knicks C Tyson Chandler recorded a season-high 17 points and hauled in 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double this season. … F Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks in scoring for the 46th time this season. … The Knicks were without G J.R. Smith, who is sidelined due to a fractured left cheekbone. … Sacramento C DeMarcus Cousins is one of only three players this season averaging at least 22 points and 11 rebounds. … Kings G Isaiah Thomas (20 points) scored in double figures for the 48th time in 53 games this season. … The Knicks play eight of their next 10 games on the road.