Tougher, deeper Knicks shoot down Pelicans, 116-106

Two teams on three-game win streaks collided Wednesday night at Smoothie King Center.

Suffice it to say that the New Orleans Pelicans still have not won more than three straight games at any point this season.

There are many ways to break down the New York Knicks beating New Orleans 116-106.

In the final analysis, the Pelicans were beaten by a better, deeper, tougher team.

Of course, that might be a different story with the likes of Lonzo Ball, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Josh Hart.

The New York Knicks are that team under Tom Thibodeau, who has transformed a perennially pathetic team into a team that will make the playoffs this season and now has a winning record.

Of course, it helps that the Knicks can actually make 3-point shots, which the Pelicans basically cannot.

Once again, an opponent torched New Orleans from 3-point range.

New York made 17-of-33 shots from 3-point range (51.5%) while New Orleans was just 6-of-28 (22.2%).

New York was determined to take Zion Williamson away. Williamson still managed to score six points with three assists and three rebounds.

The first quarter ended tied 26-26.

Former Pelican Julius Randle made three shots from 3-point range in the quarter for nine points.

Brandon Ingram led New Orleans with seven points.

New York opened the second quarter on a 13-4 run to take a 39-30 lead. The lead would grow to 11 points but the Pelicans closed the half on a 16-6 run to trail 53-52 at the half.

Williamson finished the half with 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Ingram had 10 points.

New Orleans was a poor 3-of-15 (20%) from 3-point range while New York was 9-of-19 (47.4%), outscoring the Pelicans 27-9 from distance in the half. New Orleans made just one of their last 12 shots from 3-point range.

The half was hard and it was clean. The two teams combined for just seven turnovers, nine total fouls and eight free throw attempts.

New Orleans built a five-point lead in the third quarter but the Knicks charged back with Williamson resting and took a 93-89 lead by the end of the quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Alec Burks, off the bench, scored 14 of his 21 points.

The New York bench torched the New Orleans bench 43-23.

New York stoned the Pelicans on the offensive end, holding New Orleans to just points.

With Williamson double and even triple teamed, no one else was able to pick up the slack.

Williamson did all he could, working incredibly hard for every point, scoring 25 points with eight rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and a steal.

Give Naji Marshall a ton of credit.

Marshall is a keeper, who plays hard and efficiently on both ends of the floor. Marshall finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, four assists and a steal.

Ingram finished with 28 points and seven assists but he was just 9-of-23 from the field.

Randle, a former Pelican, had 32 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

The Pelicans will see the Knicks again Sunday in New York.

New Orleans will need a far superior performance to avoid being swept by the Knicks.

First up, the Pelicans travel to the nation’s capital to face the Washington Wizards Friday night. Washington is 20-33 but you know the Wizards will be a tough out for an inconsistent, poor shooting New Orleans squad.