Knicks Look Like Themselves Again in Win Over Pelicans

The New York Knicks have struggled to get going early in games, something head coach Mike Brown has flagged multiple times.

Against the New Orleans Pelicans at Madison Square Garden, that problem was nowhere to be found, and for stretches of this one, this team looked like the contender they are supposed to be.

The Knicks shot 15 of 21 from the field in the first quarter, including 7 of 11 from three, and closed the quarter on a 15-0 run to lead 42-28. The ball was moving, the cuts were working, and New York looked locked in from the opening tip.

Mar 24, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) gestures after scoring in the first quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

That changed in the second quarter. New Orleans settled in and started making shots, but the Knicks were answering back too. It was not a collapse, both teams were trading baskets, but the Pelicans were just hot enough that the 14-point lead kept bleeding down no matter what New York did.

The third quarter had the same feel. Zion Williamson kept finding ways to score, Trey Murphy III kept knocking down threes, and every time the Knicks pushed, New Orleans had a response. By the time the fourth arrived, a game that felt in control at halftime was suddenly anybody's.

Jalen Brunson had seen enough. The Knicks guard took over down the stretch, scoring 10 straight points through the most critical stretch of the fourth quarter, and pushed the lead back out when it mattered most.

There was something different about this game too. Brown had his starters logging heavy minutes all night, with Brunson, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart all finishing between 37 and 39 minutes. With the playoffs just around the corner, it looked like Brown may be figuring out exactly how he wants to use his best players.

Knicks Show What They Are Capable Of

Brunson finished with 32 points and 7 assists, with 15 of those points coming in the fourth quarter alone. When the Pelicans cut it to 109-107 with four and a half minutes left, it was Brunson who made back to back baskets to settle things. That is what a first option looks like when the game is on the line.

OG Anunoby was quietly the best two-way player on the floor. He finished with 21 points, 3 steals, and a plus-17 in 39 minutes, and his block on a Zion Williamson drive in the third quarter was the kind of play that does not show up loudly in the box score but absolutely shifts momentum.

Karl-Anthony Towns was steady alongside him with another double-double, finishing with 21 points and 14 rebounds.

Off the bench, the Clarkson to Robinson lob connection was one of the highlights of the night. Mitchell Robinson finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds in just 20 minutes. Clarkson himself added 10 points and 5 assists in 20 minutes, giving the second unit real structure.

The win moved New York to 48-25, pulling within a whisker of the Boston Celtics for second in the East. A four-game road trip comes next, with stops at Charlotte, Oklahoma City and Houston waiting. This team showed what they look like when everything is connecting. Whether they can do it for 48 minutes against teams that will not let them breathe is the question that actually matters now.

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