Some nights in the NBA you just don’t have it and you’re on track to lose to a team you have no business losing to.
You’re holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night.
The Knicks had one.
Jalen Brunson poured in 29 electric points in the second half to help the Knicks overcome a 14-point deficit and pull out a 104-93 win over a feisty New Orleans Pelicans team.
The Pelicans a few weeks removed from a pathetic showing at MSG and still missing Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, came out strong in the first half.
Their rabid defensive pressure, led by arguably the NBA’s best defensive wing in Herb Jones, caused problem after problem for the Knicks. Brunson in particular struggled to initiate offense and committed three turnovers early on. However, the tide turned dramatically in the second half.
Brunson caught fire, nailing six threes in the second half and ripping off 11 straight points on three deep ones during the stretch that got the Knicks back in the game.
He finished the game with a season-high 39 points and six assists, effectively putting the Pelicans to bed down the stretch first by leveraging the Pelicans trapping him into 4 on 3 opportunities for Josh Hart and Deuce McBride who in turn generated a bevy of open looks for Mikal Bridges.
Hart returned to the lineup and contributed 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists with some excellent defense.
Bridges logged a whopping 45 minutes and added 18 points as a consistently deadly outlet (though somehow failed to secure a single rebound).
OG Anunoby, despite continuing to struggle with his shot (now under 24% from three in the eleven games since his career night against the Nuggets), made important defensive contributions.
Defensively, the Knicks have been impressive lately. Over the last 10 games, they rank third in the NBA in defensive rating, allowing just 104.4 points per 100 possessions. This improvement on the defensive end has been a key factor in their recent success, going 8-2 in their last 10 games and 13-4 in their last 17. On a night when Karl-Anthony Towns struggled to get going Jericho Sims and Precious Achiuwa both gave solid contributions protecting the rim as the Pelicans scored just 44 second-half points once their three-point shooting and rampant transition offense died down
While the victory is certainly cause for celebration, there are still areas of concern. The bench production was minimal, with only six points coming from non-starters. In turn, the heavy minutes load on key players like Bridges (45) Hart (41), and Brunson (40) raises questions about long-term sustainability.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Knicks’ performance against the Pelicans, tune into the Locked On Knicks podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Knicks Podcast:
• Karl-Anthony Towns’ struggles and foul trouble
• The impact of Josh Hart’s return to the lineup
• Concerns about OG Anunoby’s recent shooting slump
