How it Happened
On the opening night of a difficult road back-to-back, the Knicks came up against one of the best frontcourt duos in the NBA. Amar'e Stoudemire's season-high 26 points spearheaded an offensive attack that clicked for most of the night, but New York couldn't overcome the Pelicans' advantage on the glass as New Orleans pulled away for a 104-93 win.
Anthony Davis and Omer Asik led the Pelicans to a 43-30 rebounding edge, yet New York trailed by just four after three quarters. Carmelo Anthony (17 points, 6-of-11 shooting, eight rebounds) saw double- and triple-team coverage throughout the game, but Derek Fisher's team was able to move the ball for quality looks and shot just under 50 percent for the game. J.R. Smith (17 points, five assists, four rebounds) followed up a 20-point outing against Portland with another assertive performance off the bench.
But New Orleans was relentless on the boards, keeping possessions alive with 12 offensive rebounds and 15 second-chance points on the night. Tyreke Evans, in particular, made the most of the extra chances, scoring eight of his game-high 27 points in the final 3:04.
Knick of the Night
Stoudemire was sensational in the loss, adding five blocks to his most prolific scoring night of the season. Over the last six games, he's averaging 16.2 points and 9.0 rebounds per contest.
Next Up
The defending-champion Spurs await the Knicks, who will fly to San Antonio tonight and get ready to lace 'em up again tomorrow.