New York Knicks: 5 Reasons You Should Be Excited to Watch Tonight's Game

The rolling New York Knicks play host to the Sacramento Kings tonight at Madison Square Garden and there's plenty of reasons to be excited to watch. The Kings have lost three of four but eked out a five-point victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder last Thursday, which gives the Knicks a bit of a cause for concern.

Here's five aspects of tonight's game that should get you out of your seat.

1. The Offensive Battle Between Jeremy Lin and Tyreke Evans 

Young sensation Jeremy Lin faces another tough test against Tyreke Evans, the NBA's 2010 Rookie of the Year. Evans is averaging a pretty impressive 17-5-5 line this season so Lin will have his work cut out for him to mirror the effort of the former Memphis Tiger. Does the legend continue tonight?  

2. The Defensive Battle Between Iman Shumpert and Tyreke Evans

Many people will forget about what Iman Shumpert did in Toronto last night that gave Jeremy Lin the chance to hit the game-winning shot. He completely shut Jose Calderon down after the first quarter. With 1:30 left in the final quarter, Calderon took a walk to “21 Shump Street” when he allowed the rookie to pick his pocket near half-court, leading to a dunk that brought the Knicks within three.

Evans is a better point guard than Calderon so it will be quite the show tonight when Shumpert is matched up with him. 

3. Tyson Chandler versus DeMarcus Cousins

Whoever wins the rebounding battle between Chandler and Cousins tonight will play a huge role in their team’s victory. The disgruntled Cousins is fourth in the league in rebounds per game at 13. The Knicks big man is putting up 10 per contest. Chandler, who had 22 points and seven rebounds when the two teams last met, will also have to keep Cousins' point total down as the Kings power forward is posting a mark of 16 points per game. 

4. Jimmer Fredette's Return to New York

Kings' guard Jimmer Fredette makes his return to his home state tonight at Madison Square Garden. Fredette, who led NCAA Division I in scoring his senior season, was born in Glens Falls, New York. He's averaging just eight points per game this season but it's well-know that he can shoot the lights out.

The Knicks have been burned by the three-ball from mediocre players this season (Ryan Anderson in Orlando) so they need to keep Fredette from getting hot.

5. The First and Fourth Quarters

The last time these two teams met on New Year's Eve, the Knicks jumped out to a 35-20 lead by the end of the opening quarter. They sputtered in the middle two periods, getting bested by two points, but outscored Sacramento 36-27 in the fourth. If the Knicks can jump out to an early lead, they should be able to demoralize the young Kings team.

The game is scheduled for a 7:30 tip, so make sure you don't miss it. Enjoy.