Kings Fall To Knicks, Losing Streak At 6
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Amare Stoudemire and Danilo Gallinari each scored 27 points to help the New York Knicks overcome a slow shooting start to snap a six-game losing streak with a 113-106 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.
Raymond Felton added 16 points for the Knicks, who were the stronger team down the stretch despite playing for the second straight night.
It was another rough game for the young Kings, who gave the Knicks far too many open looks and easy points at the foul line in losing their sixth straight overall and fifth in a row at home.
After trailing by 15 points early, the Knicks went on a torrid shooting spree to take a 93-81 lead early in the fourth on a long jumper by Toney Douglas. That basket was New York's 29th in 38 attempts since late in the first quarter -- a 76 percent shooting clip that exposed Sacramento's defensive woes this season.
Little-used Donte Greene then sparked a 9-0 run with a 3-pointer in just his third game since starting the season opener as the Kings closed to 93-90. A dunk by Carl Landry made it a two-point game, but the Knicks responded with a 9-2 run capped by an emphatic one-handed dunk by Stoudemire.
Beno Udrih then scored five quick points for the Kings. But Felton hit a jumper and Tyreke Evans missed a shot and turned the ball over to end Sacramento's hopes at a comeback.
Evans scored 23 points to lead the Kings. Landry added 21 and Udrih scored 18.
Both teams juggled their lineups in hopes of snapping their skids with the Kings starting Luther Head and Jason Thompson in place of Udrih and Omri Casspi, and the Knicks going with Ronny Turiaf instead of Timofey Mozgov.
"When you lose five in a row, it's not a bad thing to shake things up," Kings coach Paul Westphal said of his switch to a more defensive lineup before the game.
The moves appeared to pay off for the Kings early, or it could have just been the effects of the Knicks playing a night after losing in Denver.
New York opened the game shooting 3 for 21 and fell behind by 15 points in the final minute of the first quarter. But the Knicks quickly found their stroke after that, hitting 13 of 17 shots in the second quarter. They took the lead with a 17-2 run early in the second, capped by a 3-pointer by Douglas.
The Knicks led 54-49 at the break -- the 10th straight game this season Sacramento has trailed at the half.
Notes: Thompson got the start two games after not playing at all despite being healthy. ... Felton and Stoudemire each got called for technical fouls. ... The Knicks were called for travels on successive trips twice in the third quarter. ... The Kings already matched last season's longest home losing streak just six games into their home schedule.
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