NEW ORLEANS — After such an emotional win at Minnesota two nights ago, some disappointment might have been inevitable.
The Knicks are playing well, but not so much that it's inevitable. So they got off to a slow start Sunday against their opponents. They were on the back foot for most of the match. Their attack was disjointed. It wasn't very beautiful.
However, the Knicks also have Jalen Brunson, who wrapped up his cape at Smoothie King Center and dropped a season-high 39 points, helping the Knicks recover with plenty of breathing room and a 104-93 victory over the Pelicans. did.
It was the third straight win for the Knicks (18 wins, 10 losses), and they needed to come back from as many as 14 points behind. They got little from Karl-Anthony Towns, scoring just 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting and dealing with early foul trouble.
However, the Knicks continued to make steady progress and continued to find different ways to break through New Orleans' fierce defense.
Finally, with 2:08 left in the third quarter, Brunson took the lead on a trey, ending a 25-minute stretch in which the Knicks were tied or trailing.
Once that barrier was removed, the dam burst.
The Knicks never followed again. The Pelicans (5-24) never completely let go of the rope, but their hold felt shaky once the lead disappeared.
Brunson played 40 minutes and made 13-of-19 shots overall and 7-of-10 from beyond the arc. Branson carried the torch the night Towns disappeared.
Brunson was also involved in a strange play in the second quarter, but this is probably the first time in NBA history that a towel boy played such a significant role in a technical foul. The ball had just bounced near the Knicks' basket, but it wasn't clear who touched it last.
The referee awarded the ball to the Knicks, but as the Pelicans were considering whether to appeal the ruling, a towel boy stepped onto the court and began wiping the floor.
Play never stopped, and the towel boy took position directly in front of Brunson, who was trying to inbound the ball.
Replays showed that the towel boy was urged onto the court by players on the Pelicans bench, including one who may have given him a slight shove.
It's unclear whether the officials raised the towel boy or the Pelicans, but Brunson made a foul shot to cut the deficit to four points with 4:19 left in the first half.
The Pelicans are riddled with injuries and have the worst record in the Western Conference. Top players Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are out indefinitely.
Williamson was on the bench Sunday in his familiar street clothes. Their arena was half empty and filled with Knicks fans.
So a win was expected for the visitors, who had been warned not to take the beleaguered Pelicans lightly.
“I think the biggest thing I learned is that every team has good players. If you come in thinking, “This team is struggling,'' “This team is not healthy,'' Or maybe you don't remember some of the names. … If we go into it with that kind of mentality, it's going to be a tough game and a game we're very likely to lose,” Josh Hart said. “So you can't look at their record. We've got talented players who can play offensively and defensively. They have a good coach. So we've got to go in with that mindset. ”
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau added that there isn't much to take away from the last time the Knicks defeated the Pelicans by 33 points at the Garden on Dec. 1.
“Not too much, because they've been hit hard with injuries, so they're bringing some players back and that affects any team,” Thibodeau said. “So you look at where you are and who they have available. And each game is different. … The challenge in this league is any team can lose, so you have to prepare every night.” You have to be a great player to be here.”
Still, the start suggested the Knicks may have underestimated New Orleans. Brunson then took control.
