Kings Fans Erupt on Social Media After Loss vs. Knicks

The Kings lost a physical game, leading some fans to criticize the referees.

In what was their second-lowest scoring performance of the year, the Sacramento Kings came out with a close home loss against the New York Knicks. Golden1 Center was riled up during the game, and so were fans watching from home.

The low-scoring battle was highlighted by heavy physical play, leading some Kings fans to wonder why the whistle wasn't blown in certain key moments. In the NBA's Last Two-Minute report of the game, the league acknowledged a miss call that led to a turnover for the Kings. If the call had been made, the Kings would have retained possession while down three points with 57 seconds left.

After multiple times where the refs allowed play to go on, Sacramento Kings loyal took to social media to blast the officiating. In multiple instances, there were physical altercations between players that saw no foul get called.

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— 1Tride (@1_tride) March 17, 2024

Kings fans were not happy with how the refs ignored Domantas Sabonis' treatment in the paint, with the big man getting hit multiple times by a number of defenders.

Refs aside, the Kings didn't do enough to deserve a win. Shooting 35% from the field and 27% from three, Sacramento's offense wasn't good enough against one of the league's best defenses. The Kings' 91 points marked the fifth game in a row that the Knicks have held an opponent to under 100 points. 

New York plays a hard-nosed brand of defense and are led by recent pickup O.G. Anunoby who made the NBA's All-Defensive second-team last year. Anunoby headed into the game with injury concerns, but made his presence felt against Sacramento.

After an 18-point performance, the Kings' sixth-man Malik Monk talked about the Knicks' defense, and how he feels the refs get away with some extra physicality (via @SeanCunningham | X):

It felt like a playoff game with how physical the Knicks were. We knew they were gonna come in physical. I think because they play that way, the refs let them get away with stuff. We gotta stop looking for the refs to save us sometimes.

The Kings will face off against the Knicks again in early April, with this matchup set to take place in Madison Square Garden. The game will mark the beginning of Sacramento's final regular-season road trip. 

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