Time flew by, and before they knew it, March had arrived.
At Madison Square Garden, angry chants from the fans echoed through the arena. With their two core players sidelined by injuries, the Knicks were already nothing more than fish on the chopping block this season.
If that were the only issue, New York fans wouldn't have directed such hostility toward the Kings. After all, the proud Madison Square Garden doesn't waste its breath on nobodies.
What truly enraged them was that their first-round draft pick was firmly in the Kings' hands. No matter how much the Knicks collapsed this year, it would be meaningless—their struggles would only serve Sacramento.
And what about Derrick Williams, the player they got in the trade?
His performance was acceptable, at least good enough to crack the Knicks' current starting lineup. But he was nowhere near worth the price they paid.
This year's swap rights were already a heavy loss, and on top of that, they had given up a 2018 first-round pick. That was salt in the wound.
Still, the boos and jeers had no effect on the Kings players.
"Everyone heard the coach's instructions, right?" Rudy Gay adjusted his jersey as he prepared to step onto the court.
"Got it! Just crush them—it's nothing!" DeMarcus Cousins rumbled.
The Kings were determined to dismantle the Knicks. The worse New York's record got, the more valuable the pick became. It was like kicking someone who was already down.
Tonight's Kings starting lineup: point guard CJ, shooting guard Ben, small forward Omri Casspi, power forward Rudy Gay, and center DeMarcus Cousins. This was the lineup they had started the season with—and their strongest one.
Across from them, the Knicks' starting five: point guard Tim Hardaway Jr., shooting guard Langston Galloway, small forward Louis Amundson, power forward Derrick Williams, and center Andrea Bargnani.
Hard to believe, but that was actually the Knicks' starting lineup.
Losing Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire was bad enough. But then, as if cursed, key backcourt players J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert were also lost for the season.
Before the All-Star break, the Knicks still showed some fight. But afterward, as the league's heavyweights picked up steam, they completely collapsed.
Cousins easily won the tip over Bargnani.
CJ caught the ball and dribbled slowly to the top of the key.
"Play one!" he signaled, calling Cousins up for a pick-and-roll.
The screen was mediocre, but it was enough. Hardaway, a defensive liability, got blown past as CJ burst forward.
Bargnani, slow to react, shuffled over to cut off CJ's drive.
CJ darted into the paint with lightning speed but quickly realized the wings weren't in position.
The set was designed for CJ and Cousins to create a mismatch, then Ben and Casspi would cross-screen to free up Gay, generating an open shot for Ben or Casspi.
But maybe because they weren't in sync, the play broke down.
CJ hesitated, unsure whether to reset or attack Bargnani's mismatch. Just then, he caught sight of a shadow cutting down from the top of the key.
Perfect timing.
CJ whipped a bounce pass behind him, landing it right in Cousins' hands. Hardaway, tasked with guarding Cousins, was powerless. All he could do was watch as Cousins exploded toward the rim and slammed it home.
"Great finish!" Reggie Miller shouted from the commentary booth.
"Simple, but with the Knicks' weak defense, there's just no way to contain Cousins."
"Wait—something's off. Something's definitely off!"
Gay jogged over and whispered to CJ.
"Forget the plays. Just dump it inside and let DeMarcus go to work."
"Got it!" CJ nodded.
He waved his teammates to spread out, then fed Cousins in the post.
Cousins grinned, bodying up Bargnani one-on-one.
The scene was almost comical. The Italian big man was shoved backward step by step, helpless against Cousins' sheer power. Cousins bulldozed into the paint and laid it in with ease.
Normally, a Knicks forward would've come to help. But with Gay lurking in the corner, Williams didn't dare leave him open.
"How about it? Want to do a couple more?" Gay smirked as they ran back.
"Absolutely!" Cousins nodded eagerly. "I barely even used any strength—he just got shoved aside."
Coach Malone caught on quickly and scrapped the original sets, letting Cousins dominate inside. Why run plays when one-on-one was enough?
From then on, Cousins spent the entire game hunting Bargnani and punishing him.
Williams tried guarding him instead? Fine—just run a pick-and-roll until the matchup switched back to Bargnani.
By the second quarter, as both teams rotated in their bench units, the game had turned into little more than an exhibition.
No wonder the Kings showed no mercy. Half the Knicks roster probably wouldn't last another two years in the league.
On one side, a playoff contender at full strength. On the other, a roster cobbled together like a summer league team.
The Knicks were annihilated.
The furious crowd grew quieter and quieter. By the fourth quarter, the stands looked patchy, as if whole sections had been cleared out. Most fans couldn't take it anymore and left early.
Final score: 102–86.
The Kings secured another dominant road win.
As the team prepared to head back to the locker room, Chen Yilun noticed Phil Jackson sitting in the corner.
The Zen Master caught his gaze, and the two exchanged a distant nod. Jackson's face remained calm, but the trace of embarrassment in his smile was hard to miss.
"How's it going here? Looks like New York's been treating you well."
Sacramento's First Street Looper Ben leaned casually on the sideline, chatting with Williams.
"Old buddy, tough luck. We're finally going to the playoffs, and you're not here."
"Cut it out!" Williams snapped.
"What does the team making the playoffs have to do with you? You can't even keep your starting spot."
"Hey! Watch your mouth! I'm sacrificing for the team! Unlike you—what do you even have to sacrifice?"
With a smug look, Williams thumped his chest.
"I gave up two first-round picks in a trade! Can you do that?"
...
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