The New York Knicks’ busy start to the season extends one more day before finally offering a breather. It opened its season at home and lost to the Boston Celtics 108-104 on Wednesday night before defeating the host Atlanta Hawks 126-120 on Friday night.
It will complete its first back-to-back of the season and play its third game in four days when it visits the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday.
“I thought our guys showed a lot of toughness,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said after his team held off the Hawks. “We got great performances from a number of people.”
One was Jalen Brunson, who made just 6 of 21 shots in the opener but hit a career-high eight 3-pointers on 12 attempts and finished with 31 points. He made 11 of 21 field-goal attempts.
“I knew I had to continue to trust the work ethic, trust everything I do. Nights like that happen,” Brunson said, referring to Wednesday’s game. “It’s nothing to dwell on. It was all about just focusing on the next day and moving on.
“I made maybe one or two bad 3s, but they were all kind of in rhythm. It was the right shot at the right moment.”
RJ Barrett scored 26 points and Julius Randle added 17 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.
New York made 20 of 44 3-pointers.
“If the ball is in the paint and everyone is making plays, we have a lot of guys to attack and create for themselves,” Brunson said. “A lot of people draw a lot of attention, so when we play off each other, it makes life a lot easier.”
The Pelicans enter its second game of the season having done a lot of good things in its opener.
All five starters scored in double figures, the team made 14 of 32 3-pointers, and the Pelicans beat the Grizzlies 111-104 on Wednesday night in Memphis.
Guard CJ McCollum, who underwent offseason right thumb surgery while rehabbing a labrum injury in his right shoulder, was sharp, scoring a team-high 24 points, making 8 of 16 field-goal attempts, including 6 of 11 from long range.
“He had a good show, knocking down 3-pointers and getting into the paint,” said forward Brandon Ingram, who added 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists. “That was really, really solid.”
But New Orleans also turned the ball over 21 times and will be looking to improve in that area against the Knicks.
“There are a lot of positives that we can pull from that game,” head coach Willie Green said. “We know it’s early in the season. We can still clean up the turnovers. We are on our guys constantly about that. That helps your defense be even better. It helps offensively. We had 21. If we can get that down to 15, 14, those are more possessions that we can get quality looks.”
Green said the emphasis is on avoiding self-inflicted turnovers, which he called “silly.”
Zion Williamson scored 12 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter on 5 of 7 shooting, and Jonas Valanciunas finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
The Pelicans had a 52-37 New Orleans edge on the boards and allowed just two fast-break points.
“For me, it’s going to be a few games getting that in-game flow back,” Williamson said. “No matter how much I work out, train, play pickup, there’s nothing like a real NBA game.”
Comments
SHARE