The New York Knicks extended their winning streak to seven games after defeating the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. Afterward, Mike Brown provided his thoughts.
The New York Knicks were able to get past the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, 121-116 for their seventh win in a row.
Afterward, Knicks coach Mike Brown discussed what he saw.
“I'll tell you what, it was a funky game,” Brown said. “Both teams offensively were really good. Nobody could really get a stop.
“I thought the way that we played defensively, we tried to be physical without fouling, which is extremely important in a game like this because we had an advantage from the free-throw line and we need every single one of those free-throw attempts. We also were really good on the offensive glass.”
Free Throws and Rebounds
The Knicks were able to secure 22 free throw attempts — 20 of which they converted. Conversely, they held the Pelicans to only 13 free throw attempts. New York also won the rebounding battle, 41-34 and had nine offensive rebounds to New Orleans’ six.
A big portion of the Knicks’ success on the offensive boards came from the efforts of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, who combined for seven of the nine rebounds their team logged on the offensive glass. Beyond the big man duo, guards Jordan Clarkson and Jose Alvarado each had one offensive rebound.
Another key difference maker for New York in the win was second chance points, which Brown emphasized. Despite losing in paint points (56-52) and fastbreak points (19-16), the Knicks were able to outscore the Pelicans 14-2 in second chance points.
The Contributors
New York also had widespread contributions offensively with seven of the nine players who touched the floor scoring in double figures. Brown also took the time to praise Clarkson.
“Jordan's been playing well on both ends of the floor,” Brown said. “He's given it to us defensively and he's given it to us offensively. I tell you, his ability to read the defense and make timely cuts and finish in that painted area is a lot of fun to watch. It just adds another dimension to what we're trying to do.”
Brown also credited other players such as Jalen Brunson, who led the team with 32 points and scored 15 of those points in the fourth quarter, Towns, who notched a 21-point, 14-rebound double-double and OG Anunoby, who also had 21 points and earned praise for his defensive effort, especially on Zion Williamson down the stretch.
Up Next
At 48-25 and this place in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks are in a good position as the regular season continues to wind down. However the remaining schedule for New York poses several challenges.
Its next three games will feature road matchups with the Charlotte Hornets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets. The Knicks have nine regular season games remaining.