NBA News Wire
Kings 106, Knicks 101 (OT)
NEW YORK — The Sacramento Kings stopped a seven-game road losing streak, turning back the New York Knicks 106-101 in overtime Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.
Sacramento (18-35) guard Jimmer Fredette scored a career-high 24 points, hitting 6 of 8 3-pointers. Forward Rudy Gay added 20 points for the Kings.
Forward Carmelo Anthony topped New York with 36 points. Forward Amar’e Stoudemire continued his stellar play off the Knicks’ bench, scoring 20 points and grabbing eight rebounds.
The Knicks scored just two baskets in overtime.
The Kings are 3-2 in overtime. The Knicks are 2-2.
The Knicks (20-32) lost for the fifth time in their last six games. They finish the first half of the season in third place in the Atlantic Division.
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 to play.
Forward Jason Thompson increased the Kings’ lead to 102-98 on a layup with 1:00 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 two points at 93-91.
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. Fredette sat the entire quarter even though he had the hot hand for the Kings in the first half.
Knicks forward Iman Shumpert left the game in the third quarter with a strained left hip flexor. He was 3 of 7 from the field with three steals and two turnovers.
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.
Anthony connected on 7 of 9 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. Cousins paced the Kings with nine points.
NOTES: The Knicks were without G J.R. Smith, who was sidelined with 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 has scored in double figures in 48 of 52 games this season. … The Knicks play eight of their next 10 games on the road. … In his first five games in February, Knicks C Tyson Chandler has made 19 of 24 shots (79 percent).