N.Y. Knicks: Overtime Victory Over New Orleans Extends Win Streak to Six

From the desk: KICKING CANS DOWN 33RD STREET WITH JIMMY

SUNDAY

Pelicans 112

Knicks   122

FINAL/OT

The Only Thing Missing From This Overtime Thriller Was a Frenzied Capacity Crowd Raising the Roof at Madison Square Garden

The Knickerbockers overcome a four-point first-quarter deficit en route to a 13-point lead at the half.  But New Orleans outscores the Knicks by 13 points, tying the game 79-79 after three quarters.  

With 3:44 left in regulation, Lonzo Ball puts the Pelicans up by seven.  Derrick Rose keeps things tight with six points over the next two minutes; his three at 1:30 reduces the Knicks deficit to three.  Two free throws by Nerlens Noel bring the Knicks to within one.  But Eric Bledsoe sinks two free throws with 7.6 seconds left, giving the Pelicans a three-point lead.  With 2.3 seconds left on the clock, Reggie Bullock nails a game-tying three-pointer after a Knicks timeout.  At the other end of the floor, a Derrick Rose block of Bledsoe's last-second attempt sends the game into overtime.  The Knicks then outscored New Orleans in the extra session by a 19-9 margin for the victory.

Zion Williamson led the floor with 34 points along with nine rebounds in 42 minutes.  Julius Randle led the Knicks with 33 points with a game-high ten assists in 47 minutes.  

Eric Bledsoe followed Williamson with 22 points and four assists in 38 minutes.  But Derrick Rose trumped him with 23 points and five assists, and a plus-22 in 35 minutes off the bench.  Brandon Ingram's 19 points in 39 minutes were likewise matched by RJ Barrett's 18 points in 36 minutes.

The inside battle featured Steven Austin for the Pelicans, who posted a double-double with ten points and tied with a game-high 14 rebounds.  Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson joined forces for 18 points and 22 rebounds; Noel accounted for twelve points, and Taj tied for game-high with 14 boards.

But whereas the Pelicans had four players score in double-digits, the Knicks featured five, namely Reggie Bullock, who sent the game into overtime.  He finished with 15 points in 37 minutes.

Sunday's victory extends the Knicks' season-high winning streak to six.  They improve to 18-10 at home and 31-27 (.534) overall.  With a firm hold on the sixth spot, they are just a half-game behind the Celtics and Hawks, tied for fourth in the conference standings with 14 games left to play.