Trey Murphy III's Hot Shooting Lifts Pelicans Over Short-Handed Knicks
The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the New York Knicks 115-92 on Tuesday evening. New Orleans snapped its two-game losing streak thanks to the hot shooting of Trey Murphy III, who made 6/11 three-point shots for a game-high 26 points. The road win is the Pelicans is their 18th of the season, three more than they had all of last year.
New York played without their leading scorer Jalen Brunson (neck) and Isaiah Hartenstein (achilles), and were already missing starters Julius Randle and OG Anunoby. Despite the lack of firepower, the Knicks made it an interesting game in the first half. The Pelicans led by just a point at halftime and got a scare early in the game when Brandon Ingram went down awkwardly on his ankle. He remained in the game, but the fall looked nasty on replay. The Pelicans were already playing without CJ McCollum because of his ankle injury and Jose Alvarado from his suspension.
Feb 27, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) controls the ball against New York Knicks forward Precious Achiuwa (5) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The Knicks hung around due in part because of the Pelicans turnovers. New Orleans committed eight turnovers in the first half, while dishing just nine assists. It was a struggle shooting for both teams in the half, with the Knicks shooting 43% and New Orleans just 40%. New Orleans gave itself some breathing room with a 10-0 run to start the second half. Their double-digit lead didn't last, with the Knicks closing the gap to seven points at the end of the third quarter. The Pelicans ran away with the game midway through the final period.
New Orleans scored 41 in the fourth quarter, marking their first 40-point quarter since Jan. 23 against the Utah Jazz. The Pelicans didn't get much production from their bench, which scored 22 points on the night, but New Orleans had three starters score at least 20 points. Zion Williamson finished with 21 points, but fouled out the game. Brandon Ingram finished with 24 points and five assists.
Murphy III was the star of stars on Tuesday night, looking like he broke out of his recent shooting slump. His six made threes were the most since late December. The Pelicans as a team made 18 shots from beyond the arc. They also won the rebounding battle and held the points in the paint advantage. Donte Divincenzo led the Knicks in scoring with 23 points.
New Orleans remains on the road to play the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night and then return home to play the Pacers again, this time at home on Friday night. The Pelicans are currently No. 5 in the Western conference standings.
