The New Orleans Pelicans couldn’t overcome a historically bad start Sunday night, falling 118-85 to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in the second game of a three-game road trip. The Pelicans dropped their eighth straight game, marking the ninth losing streak of at least eight games in franchise history. The team’s record for consecutive losses is 13, set during the 2019-20 season, Zion Williamson’s rookie year.
Bridges Sparks Knicks’ Blowout Win
Mikal Bridges had a breakout performance for New York with a game and season-high 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting, including bombing the Pelicans with seven makes from beyond the three-point arc. Bridges set the tone early, helping the Knicks build a 33-10 first-quarter lead that removed almost all doubt after 12 minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns dominated inside, posting 14 points and a season-high 19 rebounds, 17 of which came in the first half. Jalen Brunson added 16 points and nine assists, while Miles McBride led the reserves with 13 points off the bench.
Pelicans Falter Early and Often
New Orleans played without passion or ability from the outset, missing 15 consecutive shots over a nearly nine-minute stretch while being outscored 23-1. The 10 points scored in the first quarter represent the second-worst offensive opening stanza in franchise history (9 on 12/21/2004). The Pelicans trailed by 23 points after the opening period and never recovered, dropping only 28 points in the first half—their lowest of the season and one of the worst in franchise history.
Once again without Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, who appeared to be enjoying themselves on the sidelines, New Orleans struggled mightily, shooting just 37% from the field and 4-for-27 from three-point range. Head coach Willie Green acknowledged the uphill battle his team faces but emphasized the importance of resilience. “We’ve got to fight our way out of this,” Green said. “It’s about execution and confidence.”
The Pelicans have not executed and the fan base is losing confidence in Green, some of his players, and the organization.
CJ McCollum led the Pelicans with 13 points, while Trey Murphy III and rookie Yves Missi contributed 11 apiece. Missi added eight rebounds, including six offensive boards, in a bright spot for the otherwise outmatched Pelicans.
Upcoming Gauntlet
The road ahead doesn’t get any easier for the Pelicans, who now sit at 4-17 on the season. Over their next five games, they face a challenging slate of opponents with a combined record of 61-39. The stretch begins Monday night in Atlanta against the 10-11 Hawks before heading home to take on Phoenix (11-8) followed by OKC (15-5) before going back on the road to face San Antonio (10-9), and Houston (15-6).
With the Pelicans already 1-10 on the road and their last away win coming on October 25, snapping this losing streak will require some major changes, in philosophy and potentially personnel. The team must show progress quickly to avoid nearing the franchise-record 13-game losing streak from four seasons ago.
The Pelicans face a steep uphill climb with a difficult schedule ahead. They likely will not be favored to win a game before their Jan. 3 matchup with the Wizards. Whether they can turn their season around—or sink further into franchise history for the wrong reasons—remains to be seen.
It feels like time has already slipped away for this incarnation of the Pelicans, who must close the season on a 38-23 (.622) tear to post a third consecutive winning record, the same record they had over their final 61 games a season ago.
However, last season’s Pelicans were exceptionally healthy and had so much go right for them. And they didn’t start the season like this.
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