OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns were having bigger nights scoring-wise at the time, but with the game in the balance, the Knicks went to old reliable Jalen Brunson.
And he delivered a late-game takeover. How often have we seen this script?
Brunson scored 10 straight Knicks points — and 15 of their last 18 —– late in the fourth quarter, carrying the Knicks in crunch time en route to a 121-116 win over the Pelicans on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
It marked the Knicks’ seventh straight win — tying their second-longest of the season. Brunson assisted a Josh Hart layup during that stretch as well, meaning he had a hand in 17 of the Knicks’ final 18 points. Brunson finished with a game-high 32 points and seven assists.
After entering just a ½ game behind the Celtics in the standings for the No. 2 seed in the East, it creates a virtual tie, though the Knicks’ winning percentage (.658) is a few points lower than the Celtics’ (.662). If the Celtics lose Wednesday to the Thunder, the Knicks would jump ahead of them.
Coach Mike Brown had warned of the Pelicans’ ability to play fast before the game, and it certainly came to fruition. A fast-paced first half saw the Knicks struggle defensively before they were able to slow it down a bit in the second half.
Zion Williamson, who torched the Knicks for 32 points the last time the teams met, had 22 points on an efficient 8-for-10 from the field. But he didn’t take over the game.
Both Towns and Anunoby spent plenty of time on him, but Anunoby was particularly effective — he both blocked and stripped him during the fourth quarter.
It’s fitting that seven players scored in double digits for the Knicks. Anunoby and Towns each finished with 21 points. Mitchell Robinson made an impact off the bench with 10 points and eight rebounds — four of them on the offensive glass. Mikal Bridges added 14 and Hart and Jordan Clarkson each had 10. But the balanced scoring attack became a Brunson scoring attack when it mattered most.
Though they’re pretty low in the standings, the Pelicans are not nearly as sorry as the bottom feeders — comprised of G-Leaguers — that the Knicks had largely faced during the first six games of the winning streak.
The Pelicans entered having won five of their last seven games and Williamson, when healthy and available, is still a top-level talent. And without a first-round pick this year, they have no incentive to tank.
Trailing by one roughly nine minutes into the game, the Knicks ripped off a 15-0 run to end the first quarter and take a 14-point lead into the second quarter.
But the Pelicans began the second quarter on an 18-2 run and took the lead. The Knicks stabilized and by halftime led by six.
They were outscored by five in the third quarter and took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter.
When Brunson checked back in with 7:25 left in the game, it became his show.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
