NEW YORK — Mikal Bridges delivered an impressive performance with 31 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns contributed significantly with 14 points and 19 rebounds, leading the New York Knicks to a commanding 118-85 victory over the injury-stricken New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday evening.
Bridges, who was benched during the fourth quarter in the previous game against Charlotte, bounced back remarkably, shooting 12 for 19 from the field and hitting 7 out of 12 from three-point range. This victory marked the Knicks’ seventh win in their last 10 games, signifying a strong performance trend for the team.
Additionally, Jalen Brunson added 16 points to the scoreline, while Miles McBride made a notable contribution with 13 points coming off the bench. On the other hand, the Pelicans saw CJ McCollum score 13 points, and both Trey Murphy III and Yves Missi tallied 11 points each. Unfortunately for New Orleans, this defeat was their eighth straight loss and the 14th in their last 15 games.
The Knicks’ defense was particularly stingy, limiting the Pelicans to just 28 points in the first half. New Orleans struggled throughout the game, finishing with a shooting percentage of 37% from the field, managing to hit only 4 of their 27 attempts from three-point territory.
The Pelicans were missing several key players, including Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Jose Alvarado, Jordan Hawkins, and Herbert Jones, which greatly affected their performance.
In terms of stats, New Orleans holds a disappointing 1-10 record on the road, with their only away victory occurring against Portland on October 25. In contrast, the Knicks dominated the boards, securing 60 rebounds to the Pelicans’ 42, with Towns grabbing 17 of his total 19 rebounds in the first half.
A critical moment in the game occurred during the first quarter when the Pelicans missed 15 consecutive shots over nearly nine minutes, leading to an overwhelming deficit of 23-1 during that span. They ended the first quarter trailing at 33-10.
Historically, the 23 points scored in the first half by the Pelicans stands as their franchise’s lowest performance, which occurred on December 12, 2010, against the Philadelphia 76ers according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Looking ahead, the Knicks are set to host the Orlando Magic for an NBA Cup game on Tuesday night, while the Pelicans will wrap up their three-game road trip against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.
