The finishing kick for the undermanned New York Knicks on Saturday night showed why they’re considered NBA title contenders.
The end-game execution by the New Orleans Pelicans displayed why they’re still in the early stages of a rebuild.
The Knicks will look to continue their impressive December on Monday night when they visit the Pelicans in the first clash of the season between the teams.
Both teams were off Sunday following closely contested games Saturday. The Knicks squandered an 18-point second-half lead before edging the host Atlanta Hawks 128-125 while the Pelicans’ comeback bid fell short in a 123-114 loss to the visiting Phoenix Suns.
The Knicks, who will be without starter Josh Hart (right ankle) for a three-game road trip that began Saturday, appeared on their way to an uneventful win when they opened an 85-67 lead with 6:55 left in the third quarter.
The Hawks roared back by shooting 52.7% the rest of the way (19-of-36) — including 64.7% (11 of 17) in the fourth quarter, when they were 5 of 7 from 3-point land.
But New York — and OG Anunoby in particular — clamped down after falling behind 125-124 on Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s layup with 49 seconds left. Anunoby was fouled as he pulled down an offensive rebound of Jalen Brunson’s errant jumper and hit both free throws to put the Knicks up for good with 29 seconds left.
Anunoby then intercepted a pass by Trae Young and hit two more free throws. The power forward iced the win and closed out a double-double just before the buzzer by grabbing the rebound of Alexander-Walker’s misfired 3-pointer.
The late stand by Anunoby (15 points, 10 rebounds) capped an impressive night for the Knicks’ big three. Karl-Anthony Towns had a game-high 36 points and 15 rebounds while Brunson finished with 34 points as New York, which won the NBA Cup earlier this month, improved to 10-3 in December and 22-9 overall.
“It’s a team game, so we need the whole team to impact winning,” Towns said, “And I think everybody did that tonight. And down the list you can bring up everyone was really special when we needed them to be, especially OG.”
The Pelicans suffered their third straight loss Saturday when they led 33-32 after the first quarter before falling behind for good on Collin Gillespie’s 3-pointer 23 seconds into the second. New Orleans cut a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to two points with 3:54 left, when Zion Williamson sank a pair of free throws to bring the hosts within 108-106.
But the Suns hit six of their last seven shots from the field while the Pelicans committed a pair of turnovers and didn’t score a field goal until Jeremiah Fears’ layup accounted for the game’s final points with six seconds left.
The loss was the 14th by nine points or fewer this season for the Pelicans, whose rotation Saturday featured three rookies — starters Fears and Derik Queen as well as reserve Micah Peavy — along with starting guard Bryce McGowens, who is on a two-way deal.
New Orleans, which has endured six-, seven- and nine-game losing streaks this season, has the worst record in the Western Conference at 8-25.
“The resiliency was there, the toughness, the fight was there — I’ve got to give our guys credit for that, they never dropped the sword,” interim Pelicans head coach James Borrego said. “I think we were right there in that game. One-possession game, four minutes to go, I’ll take that with this group any night. We’ve just got to close and be better down the stretch.”
