Time flies, and it's March in the blink of an eye. Today in Madison Square Garden, the fans' boos are one wave after another. Due to the injuries of two core players, the Knicks are already on the chopping block this year. If it was just this, New York fans wouldn't harbor such strong animosity towards the Kings. After all, the great Madison Square Garden doesn't criticize unknowns! What really angered the fans was that the exchange right for their first-round pick was firmly in the hands of the Kings. This meant no matter how poorly they performed this year, it would be meaningless. The Knicks were doomed to be working in vain for the Kings this season.
And Derrick Williams, the player they traded for? He played decently, at least enough to make it into the starting lineup for the current Knicks. But he definitely wasn't worth the price! The exchange right for this year was already a major loss, and with another first-round pick in '18? That would truly be a disaster.
The fans' outrage, however, didn't affect the Kings' players. "Did everyone hear the coach's plan?" Rudy Gay adjusted his jersey, preparing to head to the court. "Got it! Just beat them down, simple!" Cousins muttered in his deep voice. The Kings were fully intent on crushing the Knicks. One more loss for New York meant more gains in the summer for Sacramento. It was just piling on.
Today's Kings' starting lineup: CJ at point guard, Ben at shooting guard, Omri Casspi at small forward, Gay at power forward, and Cousins at center. This was their starting five for most of the season and arguably their best lineup. In contrast, the Knicks' starting lineup: Tim Hardaway Jr. at point guard, Langston Galloway at shooting guard, Louis Amundson at small forward, Derrick Williams at power forward, and Andrea Bargnani at center. Quite the ensemble? Not quite. It was more like a team that had been slapped together haphazardly.
With Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire out, things were bad enough. But to make matters worse, the team's primary backcourt rotation—JR Smith and Iman Shumpert—were also injured for the season. The Knicks had tried to hold things together before the All-Star break, but after it, the cracks widened, and they sank further into despair.
Cousins easily won the jump ball against Bargnani. CJ took possession and slowly advanced to the top of the arc. "Tactic number one!" CJ made the gesture, signaling Cousins to come up for a pick-and-roll. Cousins set the screen—nothing fancy, but it was enough. Hardaway Jr., who was guarding CJ, couldn't stop him. CJ darted into the paint with a burst of speed. Bargnani, trailing behind, rushed to cut him off with his size, hoping to disrupt CJ's drive.
Just as CJ reached the three-second zone, the play fell apart—no one had gotten into position. The primary goal of tactic number one was to create a mismatch between CJ and Cousins while freeing up Ben or Casspi for an open shot after a series of pick-and-roll actions. But either nerves or bad timing had thrown the play off.
CJ hesitated for a split second, unsure whether to reset or attack the mismatch against Bargnani. Then, a shadow caught his eye—it was Cousins, making a move. Perfect timing! CJ made a quick no-look pass, and the ball landed squarely in Cousins' hands. With Hardaway Jr. helplessly trying to defend, Cousins powered through and dunked the ball hard into the basket.
"Nice play!" Miller praised from the commentary booth. "Though that was a simple finish, the Knicks' weak defense is no match for Cousins' strength today."
"Something's off!" Gay whispered urgently to CJ as they ran back on defense. "Forget the tactics for now, just feed DeMarcus and let him go to work."
"Got it!" CJ complied instantly. As the point guard, it was his job to execute the team's game plan, and if Cousins had the hot hand, then that was the plan. So, after signaling his teammates to clear out, CJ passed the ball to Cousins again, now planted deep in the post.
Cousins grinned as he received the pass, not hesitating to back down Bargnani one-on-one. What followed was a physical mismatch as Cousins bullied the Italian, forcing him back, step by step, until he easily laid it in.
As Cousins jogged back on defense, Gay couldn't resist asking, "How'd that feel? You want more of this?"
"Absolutely," Cousins nodded with a smile. "I barely even had to try. He's folding on his own."
Malone, catching wind of the situation, quickly adjusted the team's approach—letting Cousins dominate in the post. No need for complex plays when sheer strength was enough. And so, the game became a one-sided spectacle as Cousins repeatedly overpowered Bargnani, while the Knicks' defense struggled to cope.
When Derrick Williams switched onto Cousins, the Kings simply ran pick-and-rolls to target Bargnani again. They'd continue until he was beaten down.
By the time both teams began subbing out in the second quarter, the game had turned into little more than a glorified scrimmage. It was clear why the Kings showed no mercy—half of the Knicks' players would be out of the league within the next two years. On one side, you had a healthy playoff contender, and on the other, a team that was barely holding on with summer-league caliber talent.
As the Knicks were dismantled, the Garden crowd grew quieter. By the fourth quarter, the arena looked like a patchy lawn, with fans leaving in droves.
The final score: 106-89, another dominant road win for the Kings. As the team headed back to the locker room, Jake caught sight of Phil Jackson sitting off in a corner. Jackson noticed Jake's gaze, and the two briefly nodded at each other, exchanging a look of mutual understanding. Jackson's calm demeanor couldn't quite hide his embarrassment and frustration.
Meanwhile, Ben, the notorious streetballer from Sacramento, was having a chat with Derrick Williams on the sidelines. "Man, rough luck. We're about to make the playoffs, but it's a shame you won't be here."
"Whatever," Williams replied with a smirk. "Like it matters. You can barely hang onto your starting spot."
"Hey! That's team sacrifice! Unlike you, I've got a place on the floor to sacrifice for!" Ben shot back, but Williams, patting his chest proudly, quickly cut him off.
"Yeah? Well, I got traded for two first-round picks. Can you say that?"