With that in mind, for the matchup of the game, we look to the big men in the middle as the league's top rebounders face off in New York. Season Stats: Karl-Anthony Towns is thriving in New York, with career-highs in rebounding and three-point percentage.

New York and Sacramento face off in non-conference action. The teams meet Saturday for the first time this season.

OG Anunoby scored 33 points, Josh Hart added 20 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists in his sixth triple-double of the season, and the New York Knicks beat the Sacramento Kings 143-120 on Saturday night.

Sabonis has been playing off the charts the past two seasons, but this year has taken his offensive game to another level. While Sabonis has shown he can dominate a game similar to NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain, the Kings star has also expanded his arsenal with a new-and-improved three-point shot.

New York is dominating one of the toughest stretches on their schedule and Josh Hart is building a serious All-Star resume.

The New York Knicks leaned on a strong fourth quarter to rout the Sacramento Kings 143-120. New Yor led 72-67 at halftime before dominating the second half 71-53.

New York Knicks (29-16 ... Conference scoring 48.3 points per game in the paint led by Domantas Sabonis averaging 13.1. The Knicks average 116.6 points per game, 2.2 more points than the 114.4 ...

The Knicks have won five in a row including wins over teams like the Nuggets, Grizzlies, and Kings who have all been surging. New York is sitting at No. 3 in the East and is just a game back of the Celtics for the No. 2 seed. The Knicks are jelling at the right time as they continue to move forward with their season.

These were my selections Monday, when I was musing about potential All-Star reserve selections in NBA Rewind: The toughest snubs for me in the East were LaMelo Ball, the unhealthy forwards from the Magic and either Nikola Vučević or Jarrett Allen for a frontcourt spot.

The pecking order at the top of the league has been set for a while (as evidenced by very little movement at the top of this week's Power Rankings), but the deadline provides a quick shot of adrenaline and variety,

Tim Bontemps unveils his 24 picks for the East and West All-Star rosters, filled with new starters, wild-card intrigue and some agonizing decisions.