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The New York Knicks took down the New Orleans Pelicans 130-125. Mike Brown dug deep into the bench to get it done.
The Knicks continued their recent trend of starting games with awful defense. Saddiq Bey exploded in the first quarter, but an unlikely hero emerged when Mo Diawara kept pace with Bey for most of the early action. The defense improved when the bench entered, but Zion Williamson started to percolate, leaving New York trailing at halftime.
New York’s offense generated open looks to start the third, but they weren’t converting. That allowed New Orleans to take a double-digit lead before the Knicks’ defense finally arrived in New Orleans. The Knicks’ defense clamped down, methodically cutting into the lead, then wresting control in the fourth quarter. Jalen Brunson and Zion Williamson traded buckets down the stretch, but the Knicks edged it out.
The Knicks won another close road game. Let’s look at their success through the performances.
Notable Performances
The Captain is clutch again
Jalen Brunson: 28 PTS (10/23 FG, 5/10 3PT, 3/3 FT), 10 AST, 3 REB, 1 TO in 36 mins
Plenty of players have been the “Robin” in Knicks wins, but Jalen Brunson is always “Batman.” While the Pelicans didn’t outright double-team Brunson until the fourth quarter, their defense bent and warped to limit his comfort inside the arc. Brunson still scored 28 points and picked New Orleans apart for 10 assists.
Brunson’s good game turned great during clutch time. He hit a go-ahead bucket with three minutes left, then proceeded to make back-to-back buckets in the final minute that held New York’s three-point lead intact.
Karl-Anthony Towns: 12 PTS (4/9 FG, 2/4 3PT, 2/2 FT), 4 AST, 12 REB, 2 BLK in 30 mins
The Pelicans didn’t have bigs to stop Karl-Anthony Towns, but they got him in foul trouble instead. Zion Williamson went at KAT throughout the first half, forcing Towns off the court just as his offensive game got started.
To Towns’ credit, his effort didn’t wane due to frustration. He may not have found a scoring rhythm, but he grabbed boards, threw dimes, and hustled to get a pair of blocks.
Give the wings an All-Star bid
OG Anunoby: 23 PTS (8/22 FG, 1/8 3PT, 6/6 FT), 1 AST, 11 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 37 mins
I rarely have complaints about OG Anunoby’s shot selection, but he started the game forcing a series of jumpers that ruined his first quarter. Fortunately, he woke up in the second quarter and began attacking the rim relentlessly. OG made up for the scoring that was lost when KAT got into foul trouble.
Anunoby also took on the task of guarding Zion and did as well as we could have asked for. He was a star in this victory, so give him some AllStar votes.
Mikal Bridges: 6 PTS (3/5 FG, 0/1 3PT), 10 AST, 5 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 35 mins
The crowded interior that kept Brunson from running amok in the middle also denied Mikal Bridges’ running jumpers through the lane. That turned Bridges into a drive-and-kick player, who finished the night with 10 assists. He took what the defense gave him, which meant passing more than usual.
Bridges played a disruptive role defensively, though I expected more from his hedging and helping. He was still good, but he typically stops bigs from driving as comfortably as they did tonight.
A new pair of the depth heroes
Miles McBride: 14 PTS (4/8 FG, 2/5 3PT, 4/4 FT), 2 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL in 18 mins
It’s great to see Miles McBride fighting through screens and harassing point guards again. Believe it or not, Deuce started the night rusty and missing shots. But his defensive presence loomed over all his minutes, and he had a huge fourth quarter.
McBride made clutch shots from deep, then sealed the game with the final four free throws of the game. That’s a ringing endorsement from Mike Brown. McBride went right back to closing games after missing games, and he scored or assisted on 11 of New York’s final 13 points.
Mohamed Diawara: 18 PTS (7/9 FG, 4/4 3PT), 1 REB, 2 STL in 18 mins
The Pelicans tried to leave Mohamed Diawara open to start the night, and the rookie responded with 13 points in the first quarter. Diawara has never looked afraid of the moment, so this felt like a long overdue explosion. He shot well and even posted up a smaller defender.
Mo is a unique prospect, and everything came together for him tonight. His “it” factor was on display.
More Notes
Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson lost some minutes, but both players made significant contributions off the bench.
Guerschon Yabusele played 16 minutes and knocked down three out of four shots from three. Those makes were important, because he made mistakes elsewhere. His offensive game looks ready to contribute, but he’ll have to do better on the details.
His offense came back to Earth, but Kevin McCullar Jr. already profiles as an above-average defender and showed it by defending Bey better than any of his peers.
Closing Thoughts
The beauty of this win is that Mike Brown gave 12 players minutes in a competitive win. Brown trusted his bench on the road, and things may have gotten dicey, but the Knicks got the win.
That’s even more impressive considering Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson didn’t play. This team is developing talent down to the fifteenth man, and they’ve shown it throughout their recent success.
The next game is a tough one, as the road trip finishes in San Antonio. The Spurs will want revenge, but the Knicks have momentum riding into the NBA Cup rematch. See you next time, Knicks’ fam!
