Pelicans at Knicks final score: New Orleans outlasts New York, 103-99
By Brad Rowland
In a game marred by the early exit (and subsequent diagnosis) of forward Anthony Davis, the New Orleans Pelicans were still able to grab a road win by pushing past the New York Knicks, 103-99.
Davis played only 10 minutes (grabbing 4 rebounds and scoring 7 points) before exiting, but teammate Ryan Anderson was more than up to the challenge of picking up the slack. Anderson emerged from the bench to score a game-high 31 points on the night, and his 7-for-11 shooting display from beyond the 3-point arc was a sight to behold. This type of efficiency and production isn’t out of the norm for Anderson, who is considered a leading candidate for the 6th Man of the Year award, but it came at exactly the right time for the Pelicans.
In addition to Anderson, Tyreke Evans (who also came off the bench) added 24 points, 7 assists, and 4 steals for New Orleans, and starting point guard Jrue Holiday came close to posting a double-double with 11 points and 9 assists.
On the Knicks side, it was a sadly typical evening. Carmelo Anthony got his numbers (23 points, 10 rebounds) but shot the ball poorly with a 9-for-21 output from the field and a 1-for-7 mark from 3-point distance. The supporting cast didn’t fare much better, either, as only Tim Hardaway, Jr. (21 points, 6-10 FG, 5-8 3-PT) performed with above-average numbers, and the team failed to defend its home floor against a team without its best player.
With the loss, the Knicks fall to a dismal (and shocking) 3-13 record on the season, and it is bordering on embarrassment in New York. However, the focus shifted almost universally to Davis, which is a testament to just how dynamic the 20-year-old forward is at this stage in his career.