Knicks: Good news and bad news from 104-93 win over Pelicans

It looked to be a lost night for the New York Knicks, but Jalen Brunson’s explosive second half led them to an emphatic comeback win over a shorthanded New Orleans Pelicans team 104-93. New York has won three consecutive games and improved to 18-10, while New Orleans’ disastrous season continued as they fell to 5-24.

Jalen Brunson took over the game in the second half

The Knicks struggled to score in the first half, and they found themselves down by 14 early on in the third quarter. From there, Brunson entered takeover mode with an explosive 27-point second half, part of a 39-point night on 13-for-19 shooting from the floor and 7-for-10 from three.

With Karl-Anthony Towns having an off night (11 points, 3-for-10 FG), the Knicks needed someone to lead them down the stretch and claw their way back from a large deficit. Brunson did exactly that, reminding everyone that the Knicks are still his team.

Brunson’s spectacular season continues, as he is now averaging 25.1 points and 7.6 assists on 49.3% shooting from the floor and 44.6% from three.

The Knicks found their groove as a team in the second half

As previously mentioned, the first half was abysmal for the Knicks. Towns found himself in foul trouble early, forcing him to play just 10 minutes in the first half.

Additionally, New York scored just 45 points in the half, and they shot just 6-for-25 from the field in the second quarter. They looked lifeless just one game after an offensive onslaught against the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this week.

However, things changed in the second half, led by Brunson’s rampage. As a team, they shot 54% from the floor in the second half after the rough first half.

Mikal Bridges continued his hot December

Mikal Bridges has started to look like the player that the Knicks traded for in the month of December, and he continued a string of great performances on Saturday against the Pelicans.

Bridges scored 18 points (7-for-16 FG, 3-for-6 3PT), dished three assists, and stole the ball twice. He was a +20 on the night and played 45 minutes of action.

Bridges has flashed tremendous versatility this month, and his growth in his new role with New York has been a key to their winning ways. If this trend continues into the new calendar year, the Knicks suddenly look like one of the deepest teams in the league.

Overview

The Knicks have now won 13 of their last 17 games and are looking like true contenders. Getting a resilient comeback win is a great sign for them moving forward, as they showed that they can stick together with their backs against the wall. New York will now head back home for a quick two-game homestand that starts with a matchup against the Toronto Raptors on Monday.