Knicks Pound Pelicans For Big, Easy Win

Taken to the brink by a shorthanded Charlotte Hornets group on Friday, the New York Knicks took no chances with a similarly-strung group in Sunday’s return to Madison Square Garden.

Mikal Bridges and the Knicks started December on a high note, crushing the shorthanded New Orleans Pelicans by a 118-85 final in the opener of a four-game homestand. The Knicks (12-8) sewed together consecutive wins for the first time since a four-game streak from Nov. 15-20.

Anyone worried about the Knicks losing June’s rare deal with the Brooklyn Nets saw their concerns soothed on Sunday: fresh off a troubling performance on Friday in Charlotte, Bridges got the good times rolling in the early going, scoring 13 points by hitting five of his first seven tries in the opening period.

Bridges ended up earning 31 points and seven triples, his best as a Knick and best overall respectively. The Knicks were up 40 on the scoreboard over his 36 minutes, the best on the team on a nearly-endless list of sterling plusses.

Though clearly the most important breakout, Bridges wasn’t the only New Yorker who ended the weekend with a packed statsheet: Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 rebounds before the first half let out and was stopped at his season-best-tying 19 by rare mercy from head coach Tom Thibodeau, who emptied his bench early by his standards. Jalen Brunson was one assist short of a double-double with 16 points, as he and reserve Miles McBride each earned a trio of triples.

With the Pelicans’ expansive injury list headlined by Zion Williamson, the Knicks took full advantage of their opponent’s depleted state: a double-figure lead stood for nearly 41 minutes of game time and the Pelicans’ deficit didn’t dip below 20 after McBride hit a three-pointer in the penultimate minute of the first. New York sank 20 three-pointers on the night, reaching double-decade for the third time this year.

The Knicks will remain stationed at MSG for their NBA Cup group play finale against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT).

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