For the second straight road game, nothing came easy for the New York Knicks. Facing the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday, they clawed back from a big 10-point deficit and found a way to win a physical and gutsy game, holding on to win by a score of 130-125 to move to within one game of the Detroit Pistons for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
OG Anunoby was a force on both ends for the Knicks
The Knicks got a big performance out of their two-way star, OG Anunoby. While he didn’t have the best game shooting the ball, he found other ways to score, and made a strong impact defensively as well.
Anunoby recorded a double-double in the win with 23 points, 11 rebounds, three steals, and one blocked shot. He led the team in plus-minus at a +16, and was a driving factor into their victory with some clutch defensive plays.
His physicality was huge for New York, as they needed someone to match New Orleans’ physical play on their end. Ultimately, Anunoby showed once again his true value to the team, making the right play almost every time down the stretch.
“Our Defensive Player of the Game, just put his footprint on both ends, another All-Star of ours, OG Anunoby. I don’t know who can guard OG on a closeout…you can be big, small…offensively huge for us. Huge on glass,” head coach Mike Brown said following the win (h/t New York Basketball/X).
Jalen Brunson was clutch down the stretch
Last season’s Clutch Player of the Year is making a strong case for another one this season. Jalen Brunson came through big time down the final stretch of the game, knocking down timely shots to propel the Knicks over the edge.
Brunson scored 10 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter on 4-for-5 shooting from the field. He seemed to have an answer each time the Pelicans scored, and some solid defense from the team as a whole helped them secure the win.
Brunson’s heroics are inevitable. Time and time again, he seems to find a way to make the winning plays for his team, and they have to feel really good about what they have in him right now.
Mohamed Diawara posted the game of his NBA career
Despite Miles McBride returning from an ankle injury after missing nine games, head coach Brown stuck with the rookie Mohamed Diawara to start, and he made the most out of it with the best game of his young career.
Diawara scored a career-high 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting from the field, including 4-for-4 from three. He also recorded two steals and displayed some great energy and hustle on both ends, showcasing his skillset all over the court.
Diawara has shown some flashes of great potential lately, though it was always his offense that needed to mold. Now, he seems to found his rhythm with his three-point shot, and he could become a serious rotation piece moving forward if he continues to impress the Knicks brass.
Overview
It was an ugly game for the Knicks, but it was also a hard-fought win that they will gladly take. Next up is a tough task for them, as they will head to San Antonio to take on the red-hot Spurs in an NBA Cup Final rematch to close out the calendar year on Wednesday.