Knicks: Good news and bad news from dominant 118-85 victory over Pelicans

The New York Knicks took care of business against a battered New Orleans Pelicans team on Sunday. They put on an all-around dominant display and won by a score of 118-85. The Knicks have now won seven of their last nine games and are 12-8 on the season, while the Pelicans have now dropped eight straight games and fall to 4-17.

Mikal Bridges was terrific for the Knicks

The man of the night was Mikal Bridges, who exploded for his best night of the season with 31 points on hyper-efficient shooting. He shot 12-for-19 from the floor and 7-for-12 from three-point range, and was effective on defense with a block added to his tally.

Bridges was a team-high +40 just one game after being a -14 in a one-point win over the Hornets on Friday. The forward turned back the clock and put on a vintage performance, taking advantage of the Pelicans missing several key players.

This was a game he needed to have following a brutal road trip. Bridges has had an up-and-down season as he looks to identify his role on a loaded roster, and the hope is that this game starts a trend of good performances from their prized offseason acquisition.

“He played an all-around game,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said about Bridges’ performance Sunday (h/t The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III).

The Knicks overcame their recent first-quarter struggles against the Pelicans

In their previous two games, the Knicks scored just 15 points in each game in the first quarter. They overcame those misfortunes Sunday, as they scored 33 first-quarter points on 50% shooting from the floor and shot 6-for-12 from beyond the arc in the opening period.

Additionally, the Knicks clamped down defensively in the first quarter by allowing just 10 Pelicans points. New Orleans had an abysmal shooting night altogether at just 37.2% from the field and 4-for-27 from outside the arc.

The strong opening quarter set the tone for the Knicks as the game never was close after that. New York is now 10-0 when leading after the first quarter this season.

Karl-Anthony Towns struggled offensively but contributed in other areas

With all the good that came out of the Knicks on Sunday, Karl-Anthony Towns was one of the few that struggled offensively. He scored just 14 points in 24 minutes and shot 4-for-12 from the field and 1-for-5 from three.

However, his slow offensive performance was masked by his effort on the glass, as he grabbed 19 rebounds (tying his season-high) including 17 in the first half. His efforts down low helped the Knicks dominate the rebound battle 60-42. Towns was also effective defensively with a steal and a block on the night.

It was a similar story for OG Anunoby, who continued his recent shooting slump with just seven points on 2-for-10 shooting from the floor. However, he was exceptional defensively with three steals and four blocks, and his tenacity on that end of the floor was a great tone-setter for a Knicks team looking for a spark on that end of the floor.

Overview

After a nail-biter against the Hornets, the Knicks properly took care of business with an impressive blowout against a depleted Pelicans squad. They will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday, as their next opponent is the red-hot Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden with a trip to the NBA Cup quarterfinals on the line.