Knicks Brawl Their Way to a Gritty Win Over Pelicans
The Garden crowd was rocking. Monday night, March 25th, saw the New York Knicks grind out a hard-fought 112-106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, a win that felt more like a street fight than a basketball game. Jalen Brunson, fresh off a 61-point explosion two nights earlier against the Spurs, led the charge with a relatively modest, but incredibly efficient, 24 points and 5 assists. He shot 9-of-23 from the field, but his clutch buckets in the fourth quarter were the difference.
Real talk: this Knicks team thrives on chaos. They aren't pretty, they don't always shoot well, but they play with an intensity that's infectious. The Pelicans, despite a strong effort from Zion Williamson who put up 34 points on 12-of-20 shooting, just couldn't match that late-game grit. Williamson also added 9 rebounds and 5 assists, showcasing his all-around game. CJ McCollum chipped in 23 points for New Orleans, but his 4-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc wasn't enough to swing the momentum.
The Grimy Details
This game wasn't about highlight-reel dunks; it was about defensive stands and hustle plays. The Knicks forced 17 Pelicans turnovers, converting those into 22 points. That's winning basketball. Donte DiVincenzo, who has been quietly brilliant this season, added 21 points for New York, including some timely three-pointers that kept the Pelicans at arm's length. He hit 5 of his 12 attempts from deep. Isaiah Hartenstein, starting at center, pulled down 10 rebounds and blocked 2 shots, anchoring the interior defense against Williamson's powerful drives.
New York’s bench outscored New Orleans' reserves 34-21, a significant margin in a tight game. Miles McBride was a spark plug off the bench, scoring 11 points in just 19 minutes, hitting 3-of-4 from three-point range. His energy was palpable. The Pelicans, on the other hand, got only 12 points from their starting forward, Herbert Jones, who shot a disappointing 4-of-10. This kind of disparity in bench production is often the difference between good teams and great teams.
A Tale of Two Halves
The Pelicans actually led by as many as 14 points in the first half, pushing the pace and getting easy looks. They shot 53% from the field in the first two quarters. Williamson was getting to the rim at will, scoring 18 points before halftime. But the Knicks, as they often do, ratcheted up the defense after the break. They held New Orleans to just 41% shooting in the second half. That's a coaching adjustment, and Tom Thibodeau deserves credit for it.
Here's the thing: people will talk about Brunson's scoring, and rightly so, but the real story of this Knicks team is their collective toughness. They don't have a second superstar right now, not with Julius Randle still sidelined with a shoulder injury since January 27th. Yet, they sit fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 44-28 record. My hot take? This Knicks team, even without Randle, is more dangerous in a playoff series than many fully healthy rosters because they simply refuse to quit.
The Pelicans, now 43-29, showed flashes of brilliance, but their inability to close out games against top-tier competition remains a concern. They blew a double-digit lead against the Knicks, just as they did against the Thunder earlier in the season. Until they learn to consistently finish, they'll remain a good team, not a great one.
The Knicks will make the Eastern Conference Finals.