The Knicks will play their next five games at home, but all will be against formidable Western Conference opponents beginning with Saturday’s matchup against the surging Kings.
Sacramento has won 10 of 12 under Doug Christie after Mike Brown was axed in late December with a 13-18 mark.
The Knicks’ subsequent four games will be against top six teams currently in the West: the Grizzlies, Nuggets, Lakers and Rockets.
“Obviously, they had a little bit of a slow start, but they’ve been playing well,” newly dubbed All-Star starter Jalen Brunson said of the Kings. “Most importantly, we need to keep our consistency. Our mental approach has to be the same every single game. We have to be ready to go.
“It’s going to be a dogfight when we get out there, no matter who we’re playing against. Any given night something could happen, so we have to be ready to go.”
The Knicks enter Saturday’s game at MSG with a slightly better record on the road (15-8) than they’ve managed on their home court.
Josh Hart is listed as questionable for the Knicks with right knee soreness. De’Aaron Fox (sprained right thumb) is questionable for the Kings.
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin joined New York AG Letitia James and Connecticut AG William Tong and other government officials in “imploring Altice USA and MSG Networks to reach a deal” to resolve its dispute that has taken the networks’ programming off Optimum’s lineup since Jan. 1, according to a statement Friday released by MSG.
“MSG Networks agrees with the Attorneys General,” the statement read. “We don’t want Optimum subscribers to miss another Knicks, Rangers, Islanders or Devils game. That’s why we offered to submit the matter to binding arbitration.
“If Altice USA agrees, MSG Networks can immediately bring back the games Optimum subscribers are desperately missing while MSG Networks remains off the air.”
The Knicks ranked third in the NBA in team merchandise sold in the first half of the season through the league website — behind the Celtics and the Lakers. Brunson is fourth in individual jersey sales, behind Steph Curry, LeBron James and Jayson Tatum.
Brunson also was named the league-wide recipient of the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist award for December.