How It Happened: The Knicks started hot and finished strong in New Orleans on Saturday night. In the first quarter, New York built a seven-point lead and the road team led by as much as 16 points in the third quarter. However, the Pelicans raced back into the contest with a 24-12 run to cut the deficit to just two points deep in the third frame. New Orleans even led by seven points in the final stanza and seemed to take control of the game. Head coach Jeff Hornacek utilized Joakim Noah next to Kristaps Porzingis while placing Jarrett Jack next to Frank Ntilikina for some time in the quarter. With the Knicks trailing by five points, Porzingis nailed a 3-pointer and then smashed a one-handed jam to tie the game at 101-101. The third-year rising star provided New York with the 105-103 lead by connecting on an 18-foot jumper. Anthony Davis missed an attempt from the arc in the final seconds and the Knicks celebrated a road win to conclude the three-game trip.
Knick of the Night:Porzingis’ skill-set was on full display against two of the best big men in the league. The power forward scored a team-high 30 points on 50 percent shooting from the floor to go along with seven rebounds two steals, and two blocks.
Notables:Michael Beasley tallied 15 points off the pine, Jack scored 15 and dished out seven assists, and Enes Kanter grabbed nine rebounds.
Statistically Speaking: New York only committed seven turnovers and recorded 24 team assists in the victory.
Next Up:The Knicks will return to New York following the contest and have a couple days to prepare for the rematch against the Spurs on January 2.