Game Day: Knicks vs. Kings, 2/25/21

The Knicks look to get redemption on the Kings from their road trip loss to Sacramento a few weeks ago. Who will take the place of the injured Elfrid Payton tonight? And who will soak up backup minutes?

Riding high in Sacramento the last time these two met, a little retaliation certainly seems in order. The Kangz put numbers on the board, but with a little ingenuity, New York can get behind defenders and geld these gilded bottom-dwellers. Having been beaten by Golden State on Tuesday, it would be a very satisfying reciprocal of their West Coast trip a few weeks ago.

Who’s to say where this thing is headed. The Knicks are starting to accumulate some injuries. Mitchell Robinson has been sidelined since breaking his hand and having surgery. Elfrid Payton is out tonight with a hamstring something-or-other while Nerlens Noel is considered probable with an ankle injury. Next man up is likely going to be the case, will coach Tom Thibodeau give Immanuel Quickley a shot at starting? I feel like that answer is a curt “no.” The backups will have some minutes to fight over as well. I’d love to see Frank Ntilikina get some burn, but I have to imagine the deliberate stylings of Thibs will prevail and we’ll see Austin Rivers return to the court.

Whatever perceived malfeasance they lay on me this time, at least New York is learning and growing. They have a bonafide All Star. They a young roster full of thirsty gym rats. They have all types of cap space to to accept some stowaways from around the league. The Knicks are, in a word, different. May the sun shine brightly on their backs as they push forward into the second half of the NBA season.