Jalen Brunson Burst Leads Knicks Comeback Over Pelicans

Denied singles at the foul line, Jalen Brunson went for triples that served as the spark to a New York Knicks comeback.

Thanks to Brunson’s prowess from deep, the Knicks completed a clean sweep of a three-game road trip with a 104-93 comeback victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night at Smoothie King Center. Brunson’s latest mastery proved historic: with a season-best 39 points, Brunson earned his 62nd Knick game with at least 30, breaking a tie with Walt “Clyde” Frazier for eighth-most in franchise history.

New York’s 13th win over its last 17 games did not come easy despite the relatively one-sided nature of the score: the depleted Pelicans led by 14 with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter but that gave way to a Brunson breakout, featuring 29 points in the second half alone, rendering a first 24 where they scored only 45 as a team long forgotten.

With the win, the Knicks secured a season sweep of the Pelicans for the first time since 2020-21.

The Knicks now head home for a brief Christmas homestand, a two-game tally that starts on Monday night against the Toronto Raptors (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!