Stars ‘confused’ by rival’s ‘magical’ chant; Knicks embarrassed in new low – NBA Wrap

An undermanned LA Clippers have fallen to the Sacramento Kings at dwelling 123-96 on Sunday morning (all occasions AEDT) to now be susceptible to dropping out of the West’s prime eight seeds.

Domantas Sabonis led the best way for Sacramento, who improved to 12-9 to climb into the West’s fifth seed after a 0-4 begin to the season, with 24 factors on 10-of-11 capturing, 5 rebounds, six assists and two blocks and Keegan Murray added 23 factors, seven rebounds and two steals.

The Kings got here out firing at Crypto.com Arena, profitable the primary quarter 38-24 because the Clippers, who have been once more with out Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, lacked depth.

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Sacramento prolonged its result in 22 by half-time and LA by no means regarded like getting again into the competition within the second half in a one-sided affair the place each groups had emptied their benches from midway by means of the fourth.

Kings followers certain bought rowdy within the fourth quarter too with their workforce up massive, breaking out a “Light the Beam” chant – impressed by a convention the place Sacramento workers shine a ray of sunshine in the direction of the skies after dwelling wins.

Although Clippers gamers – together with stars George and John Wall – on the bench didn’t look too happy with the rival fan base’s refrain.

Brandon Boston Jr posted a team-high 18 factors for the Clippers and Ivica Zubac had 13 factors and 15 boards in a forgettable efficiency for the Wester Conference workforce.

LA has now dropped 4 of its final six to sit down 13-11 general as they desperately miss George and Leonard.

KNICKS DROP ANOTHER GAME AT THE GARDEN

The wet climate was becoming.

A darkish cloud is hovering above Madison Square Garden lately — not less than when the Knicks are in motion.

The constructing has develop into a home of horrors for coach Tom Thibodeau’s workforce. Their 121-100 loss Sunday was simply the newest instance, an abject second-half no-show through which the beforehand struggling Mavericks handled the Garden like their very own private playground.

In getting off to an underwhelming begin, the Mavericks clearly missed level guard Jalen Brunson, who signed with the Knicks this previous low season. Dallas coach Jason Kidd mentioned as a lot Sunday.

One recreation towards the Knicks, nonetheless, soothed what was ailing them.

After trailing by 15 factors within the second quarter, the Mavericks morphed into the workforce that reached the Western Conference finals final 12 months, ripping aside the Knicks over the ultimate two-plus quarters handy them their fourth straight loss on the Garden in ugly style.

“They just wanted it more. That’s just it,” mentioned Brunson, providing a well-recognized chorus after latest poor performances.

The Knicks have been outscored 41-15 in an embarrassing third quarter that seemingly refused to finish. They have misplaced seven of the final eight at dwelling, and at the moment are three video games below .500 at 10-13, their low-water mark of the season. At one level, the Mavericks (11-11) had 50 of a complete 70 factors scored in a stretch bridging the second and third quarters, and the massive crowd let the house workforce hear their displeasure with thunderous boos.

Asked in the event that they have been able to play after halftime, Julius Randle mentioned he hoped so. Then, he added: “But it didn’t look like it.”

That third quarter was gorgeous, contemplating the Knicks led by 15 within the second quarter and entered halftime up by seven. But the sport fully turned within the second half.

In that fateful third quarter, the Mavericks went on a 29-5 run that included seven 3-pointers, 5 from former Knick Tim Hardaway Jr. Twice, Thibodeau used time-outs to attempt to decelerate Dallas because the Knicks floundered at each ends of the ground. It didn’t work. By the tip of the ugly body, the Knicks trailed by 19 and boos have been bouncing off the partitions of the sector.

That third quarter included six Knicks turnovers, a scoring drought of 4:41 and 9-for-17 capturing on 3-pointers by the Mavericks.

“We were playing a really good game, and it flipped all of a sudden,” RJ Barrett mentioned. “It was definitely frustrating.”

While a lot was fabricated from Brunson going through his former workforce, Hardaway was the one who loved seeing his previous workforce probably the most, pouring in 28 factors and hitting eight 3-pointers. After a quiet first half, Luka Doncic went off for 19 of his 30 within the closing two stanzas, as Dallas sank 24 3-pointers on 61 makes an attempt. He heard an “MVP” chant at one juncture from a vocal phase of Mavericks followers who had lots to cheer about.

Randle adopted up a 21-point first half with simply three factors after the break. Barrett and Brunson every completed with 13 factors. Thibodeau mercifully emptied his bench early within the fourth quarter with the outcome properly in hand and the Cavaliers coming to city on Monday for the second recreation of a back-to-back.

Afterwards, the Knicks coach harped on his workforce’s incapacity to regulate the offensive glass — the Mavericks turned 14 offensive rebounds into 24 second-chance factors — and its carelessness with the ball that led to 19 turnovers.

“The thing that bothered me more than anything, when we turned it over — some of them are travels that they called tight, but we should have adjusted to that — the live-ball turnovers bothered me and then the second shots,” Thibodeau mentioned. “Sometimes it was good initial defense and we gave up a second [chance]. You give a team like that a second and third crack at it, you’re going to pay and we did.”

Thibodeau declined to go the trouble route, saying he needed to look at the movie earlier than criticising his gamers’ want-to. But his level guard didn’t want to attend. He didn’t see almost sufficient desperation out of the Knicks.

“Like I said before, we’ve just got to want it more,” Brunson mentioned. “Fifty-fifty balls, them getting offensive rebounds, second chance points, that’s what we can control.

“I mean it definitely is concerning. I think that’s something that can be fixed. Just our intensity, attention to detail, all that stuff — that’s something that can be fixed. That’s something we can control. We just have to control what we can control and just go out there and give it our all.”

-This story was initially printed within the New York Post by Zach Braziller and reproduced with permission

ALL RESULTS

MAVERICKS 121 KNICKS 100

KINGS 123 CLIPPERS 96

BUCKS – HORNETS

MAGIC – RAPTORS

THUNDER – TIMBERWOLVES

ROCKETS – WARRIORS

TRAIL BLAZERS – JAZZ