After turning off the lights on the opening night of the season, RJ Barrett came across some rough spots, the second of which coincided with the middle of a series of losses.
But despite the Knicks having a three-game winning streak on Friday night against the Kings of Sacramento, California, Barrett rediscovered his touch and made a major impact in the process.
“We’re just trying to work hard and grind every day,” Barrett said, after scoring 28 career points in 10-of-17 shots in Thursday’s Warriors victory. “It simply came to our notice then. We are very focused. We gave our all and will continue to do so throughout the season. ”
In the 103-94 loss to Kings, Barrett scored 21 points in 8-for-17 shots – including going 2 to 2 of 3. In his last five games on Friday, Barrett averaged 21 points. , 8 points – at 51.4% and 38.9 percent from the depth – to go with 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists. In the 10 games before that stretch, he shot just 33.1 percent from the floor and 12.8 percent beyond the arc – figures that were boosted by two games in the middle, in which the left warmed up for a short time and shot 18 of 34 from upstairs and 5-for-10 of three.
“I think RJ played very well, I would say it would be like the last five or six games, playing at a very high level,” said coach Tom Thibodeau. “The season started in which he had a great opening night and I think the teams followed him quite well. But he adapts and even during the stretch in which he didn’t shoot particularly well, he came back excellent and played.
Frank Ntilikina has missed his 13th consecutive game since suffering a sprained right knee on December 29. Austin Rivers was also for a second night in a row, with a painful Achilles right. … Sunday’s game in Portland was changed from 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time to 10:00 p.m.
– additional report by Peter Botte