Game Thread: New York Knicks @ Sacramento Kings 10:30pm 12/10/2015

With the Knicks on the brink of a five-game road losing streak, coach Derek Fisher is exploring changes to New York's lineup.

George Karl may be forced into one for the Sacramento Kings.

After opening this three-game trip with their most lopsided loss of the season, the Knicks seek a bounce-back effort against the Kings on Thursday night.

New York (10-13) has dropped seven of its last nine games, including four straight on the road while averaging 86.3 points and shooting 37.7 percent.

The Knicks were 7-34 as the visitor last season, and they're coming off perhaps their worst performance anywhere in 2015-16. They shot 39.7 percent and trailed by as many as 33 in Wednesday's 106-85 loss at Utah, only leading on Kristaps Porzingis' jumper to go up 2-0.

Fisher was concerned with the Knicks' starters - Porzingis, Carmelo Anthony, Robin Lopez, Arron Afflalo and Jose Calderon - totaling a season-low 31 points.

"I didn't see anything from those guys that started the game," Fisher said. "This is three nights in a row for that group and we will have to consider if that can stay the same at the moment."

While it's unclear where Fisher could switch things up, Anthony isn't likely to be a candidate to hit the bench despite averaging 15.7 over his last three games and shooting 32.6 percent after Wednesday's 3-for-11 effort.

Porzingis wasn't any better with a season-low four points in 13 minutes after scoring 28 in a 104-97 loss to Dallas on Monday.

Anthony has 36 points in each of his last three meetings with Sacramento (8-15).

While Fisher tries to jump-start New York, Karl is dealing with a banged up DeMarcus Cousins.

"I think he has a back and an ankle that are sore," Karl said. "It's just the process of being a big guy in this league and the way he plays and the way he bangs. I think we have to be careful how we rest him."

Cousins fouled out Tuesday after scoring 12 points with 12 rebounds and six assists in a 114-106 win over the Jazz. He was averaging 18.5 points on 29.9 percent shooting - 3 of 19 from long range - over the previous four games after missing three with a sore back.

Cousins has scored 31.0 points per game with 12.0 boards over the last three meetings with the Knicks. He had 22 and 10 in a 124-86 romp in New York on March 3.

Rudy Gay chipped in with a game-high 25 points in that matchup after scoring 29 in a 135-129 overtime win against the Knicks on Dec. 27. The forward has totaled 43 points over the last two games, connecting on 10 of 13 from the field Tuesday.

Omri Casspi is looking to remain in the lineup for a fourth straight game in place of the injured Willie Cauley-Stein after scoring 19 points in a season-high 41 minutes Tuesday.

"Everyone in this league wants to start and play 40 minutes," Casspi said. "I'm happy to start; I love it. But when Willie comes back I'll be happy to come off the bench again."

(nba.com)

Trying to hold it together and stay up for he game as it's the 2nd half of the TNT doubleheader...need to rebound after last night...go KNIcKs

Rady .. BIG Thanx for the Game-Thread especially after lastnite Knicks train wreck

We face a 8-15 double-double Cousins, 10 dimes Rondo, and scorer Gay .. WTH
What to expect tonite will be a late-whopper or a early excuse .. Knicks were on the end of a back to back on the road."
I was looking forward to seeing a rookies debut KP vs WCS

mafra said:

I would replace Lopez with Seraphin in the starting lineup. I would also shorten rotation to 9 players. Galloway, Grant, Lopez, Thomas... And would sprinkle in subs and limit minutes to about 18 minutes for these 4.
Let the starters play together and give them minutes to find a rhythm.
I still believe people underestimate how important guard play is... If we had a legit stud at either G spot... We would be a vastly different club... We are basically running the offense thru 2 PFs, who get the ball around the 3-point line... And, on defense, we cannot stop penetration.
No coincidence NYK were good when Billups, Kidd, Lin were in command...

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Mafra .. its still early in the season we should keep a 11 to 12 man rotation each game. Why?
We added 8 new players in the offseason to the roster, plus we have 3 players that joined the team last year in midseason.
And then we have the $124M Melo, who practice when he wants to practice, plus run the practice the way he wants.
Melo is NOT a PF in the NBA! natural scoring SF.
D.Will is not a PF in the NBA! natural scoring SF.
Lopez is a PF in the NBA!
Quinn is a PF in the NBA!
Serafin is a PF in the NBA!
Afflalo is a SG in the NBA!
Lance Thomas is a SG in the NBA!
Grant & Gallo are young combo-guards!
Sasha is a SG in the NBA!
Calderon is a backup PG in the NBA!

The pieces are there to keep us a .500 team
Fisher job is to produce a Defensive-lineup and a Offense-lineup within 41 games

Same starting five hopefully different results

Wow I stayed up for this

Boogie jus served Rolo a facial

Arizona 23 Minny 20 Final .. Good-Game .. Thursday night NFL

Did Cousins just highlight a poster-child on Lopez .. thas not nice

I seen Rolo play much better than what he been doing lately ..
Fisher need to try a lineup with Quinn & Rolo for a couple of weeks, plus let Serafin & KP gell in a lineup too

Rolo to KP .. great dime

We take Rolo out for Lance and Kings score 4 quick points inside

We have to stop using Melo & D.Will as big-men (Our Weakness) they are SF vs majority of west coast teams

Knicks gonna lose again. That'll be 8 Ls last 19 games... We are quickly adopting the losing mentality again... You can see it in the body language and effort. Last 4 games we dont even have a lead at any time last 3 quarters... Getting blown out every night.

But... If you think about it... We have little NBA talent. We lack guards and wing players. Melo and Porz are BIG scoring forwards... Not wing types... We have no athleticism, shooters, or penetrators... We are fortunate if we can score 20 points a quarter.

All you need to say is this: our best guard is Calderon. Grant and Galloway shouldnt even be playing.... They do nothing but help the opponent.

Melo bricked 3 FTs already. But at least he is fighting...

16:3 turnover disparity... Shocked we are still within ten after three.

Melo played 31 minute at end of 3rd quarter .. we down by 11

Kiyaman said:

We have to stop using Melo & D.Will as big-men (Our Weakness) they are SF vs majority of west coast teams

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It doesnt matter what we do with our front court. If Melo is at the 3... He struggles on defense keeping up with the quicker opponent, and isnt as efficient on offense.... The bottom line: if we are gonna get zilch-nada-nil from Affalo, Gallaway, and Grant... We have little chance to win games. These guards are an affront to modern day bball... I thought Shumpt-Smith-THjr were a joke... This trio is even worse.

Down 7 with 9 to play... Galloway almosts airballs a 7-foot shot, Affalo swishes a bucket, then commits an offensive foul... 82-77 with 7:49 to play... If only we have NBA level guards...

Cousins almosts decapitates Porz with an elbow... No call... Then an off foul on Galloway called next possession.

We played 5 minutes in the 4th we brang the lead down to 5 points without Melo .. oops spoke to soon here come Melo off the bench

Kiyaman said:

We played 5 minutes in the 4th we brang the lead down to 5 points without Melo .. oops spoke to soon here come Melo off the bench

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Lol... Melo posts the Israeli and throws an easy layup brick off the backboard... Wouldve cut lead to 3...

mafra said:

It doesnt matter what we do with our front court. If Melo is at the 3... He struggles on defense keeping up with the quicker opponent, and isnt as efficient on offense.... The bottom line: if we are gonna get zilch-nada-nil from Affalo, Gallaway, and Grant... We have little chance to win games. These guards are an affront to modern day bball... I thought Shumpt-Smith-THjr were a joke... This trio is even worse.

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Our 13 losses had a lot to do with our two weak big men in a lineup .. we cant control the paint on either side