New Orleans Pelicans answer New York Knicks first-quarter surge with 33 assists and 15 threes at Madison Square Garden

The New Orleans Pelicans left Madison Square Garden at 25-48 after a 121-116 result against the the Knicks, who moved to 48-25 in the same game.

First quarter

The Pelicans put up 28 points in the opening quarter as the Knicks opened with 42 points on 52 percent shooting.

New York led by as many as 14 in the quarter, and the game log showed the Knicks’ most unanswered run reached 15 points during the early stretch.

Second quarter

The Pels answered with 32 points in the second quarter while holding the Knicks to 24, and the scoreboard showed 11 ties across the night as momentum shifted.

New Orleans leaned into ball movement with 33 assists for the game, and a 4.71 assist-to-turnover ratio paired with only 7 total turnovers in the box score.

Zion Williamson supplied 22 points on 80 percent shooting, and Jeremiah Fears added 21 points on 75 percent from the field.

The bench helped stabilize the middle stretch with 40 bench points for New Orleans, while New York’s bench produced 23.

Third quarter

The Pelicans matched their second-quarter output with 32 more points in the third, and Trey Murphy III chipped in 16 points with 6 rebounds.

New Orleans hit 15 three-pointers at 44 percent and finished at 51 percent overall, which kept the margin tight despite New York’s 60 percent on 2-point attempts.

The New Orleans Pelicans vs New York Knicks turning point came as New Orleans kept generating points off turnovers, finishing with 18 in that category compared with 11 for New York.

Fourth quarter

The Knicks closed with 28 points in the fourth quarter while the Pelicans scored 24, and New York’s 20 made free throws on 91 percent contrasted with New Orleans going 11-for-13 at 85 percent.

New Orleans produced 56 points in the paint on 62 percent finishing inside, but New York countered with 49 total rebounds and 14 second-chance points.

Among the game-changing plays New Orleans Pelicans vs New York Knicks, New York’s extra possessions stood out with 9 offensive rebounds while New Orleans collected 6.

In post game analysis, the New Orleans Pelicans vs New York Knicks final score reflected New York’s first-quarter separation, even with New Orleans posting 19 fast-break points on 62 percent.

New Orleans will next be on the road at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, where the Pelicans are scheduled to face the Detroit Pistons on 3/26/2026 at 7:00 PM EDT on FDSDET, Gulf Coast Sports, and Pelicans+.

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