Two Motor City imports gave the New York Knicks a tune-up on Saturday in Sacramento.
Jalen Brunson was responsible for nearly half of the Knicks’ goals against the Sacramento Kings, but he was given a well-deserved rest early in the fourth quarter. Two surprising sources of offensive firepower punctuated the game-changing phases of a 98-91 interconference victory: Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks combined to post a 9-2 run early in the final period to permanently build momentum in the Knicks’ corner.
Both former Detroit Pistons headliners of the Knicks’ trade deadline activities have struggled to provide the depth that touted their arrivals, but the things, but the plan unfolded perfectly on Saturday.
A quick look at the box score doesn’t suggest much of a change, as the two shot a combined 8-of-21 from the field, including 3-of-10 from three-point range. Their timing, however, couldn’t be better.
Combined with brilliant defense on the other end (the series ended with OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartensten blocking a pair of layups by Kings star Domantas Sabonis), Bogdanovic and Burks helped grow the Knicks’ slim lead with their timely timing.
Burks, who scored 12 points, hinted at what was to come earlier in the game when he came off the bench to hit two 3-pointers in the second quarter, where the Knicks eventually built a five-point lead at halftime. Bogdanovic tallied nine tallies and paired them with four rebounds, part of a plus-10 edge on the scoreboard for New York.