It wasn’t quite the Fight of the Century, but there was a heavyweight clash to remember at Madison Square Garden between Zion Williamson and Julius Randle.
The two all-stars went head-to-head in a memorable matchup that ended with the New York Knicks beating the New Orleans Pelicans 112-122 in overtime. This was the Pelicans’ second overtime in as many games, both ending in defeats. New Orleans is 1-4 this season in games that extend past the fourth quarter.
It seemed like Pelicans fans were in store for another bipolar performance from their team as New Orleans trailed by double digits at the break. But then, the rarely seen occurred. Eric Bledsoe went on a one-man rampage to bring the Pelicans back into the game and the contest was subsequently close until the final whistle.
In the end, after an overtime period that felt eternal because of free throws and referee stoppages, the Knicks beat the Pelicans for the second time in four days. This was a tough loss for Stan Van Gundy’s team, as the chance to make a play-in tournament push continues to slip further away.
The Pelicans are now three games behind the 9th- and 10th-placed Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs, respectively. New Orleans’ next few games aren’t pick-me-ups either, with clashes against the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and a particularly crucial one against the Spurs on the horizon.
Here are the player grades for the Pels’ overtime loss against the Knicks, starting with my personal MVP:
New Orleans Pelicans vs. New York Knicks: Grading the best player
Zion Williamson promptly bounced back after the worst game of his NBA career against the Washington Wizards.
Williamson had a slightly iffy start but quickly looked like he was at his best once again. He was dominant for the Pels all night on offense despite the negative spacing that he often has to operate with.
The Pels’ all-star finished with 34 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in his first game at Madison Square Garden. He probably could’ve had even more points if he went to the free throw line more, but still made sure to leave a highlight or two behind.
Doris Burke on ESPN commented multiple times that Williamson appeared concerned with the officiating, but how long can he contain his frustration? New Orleans’ franchise player gets clobbered time after time in the paint, but has no choice but to play through it because his physicality is just so otherworldly.
I expect to see Williamson drop more memorable games in the future at MSG, but this was a good start. He will hope that the next one is a win, however.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Knicks: Grades for the guards
It seems like Lonzo Ball is working himself back into the swing of things after two consecutive hip injuries.
Ball played just 27 minutes, which seems like a decent amount but he would’ve likely played more under regular circumstances. The former UCLA guard was on a minutes restriction, so it was tough for him to get into a real rhythm. He still had a few bright moments on offense, including a coast-to-coast take and a beautiful lob pass for Zion Williamson.
On defense, it’s tough to forget the closing moments of the fourth quarter. With the Pels up three points, Ball rotated to stop a layup from Derrick Rose but instead gave up a wide open corner three to Reggie Bullock (a 40 percent three-point shooter).
That trey took the game to overtime and the Pels proceeded to lose.
The Pelicans really failed to make use of Eric Bledsoe‘s second half heroics.
Bledsoe was having a typically sleepy game, but singlehandedly dragged the Pelicans back into the contest right after the break. The Kentucky product was on fire for a good while, scoring the most points he has scored in a quarter this season.
However, the end of the game tainted his great showing. Bledsoe recognized later that he was meant to foul Derrick Rose on the Knicks’ last possession that eventually resulted in overtime.
That lapse is hard to forgive, especially from someone who is supposed to be the veteran presence on a young team. Bledsoe’s grade gets docked because of that, even if Lonzo Ball should have still known better.
Bledsoe was also handed the Pelicans’ last shot—not his fault, but still a very odd decision—that was blocked by Rose. Still, one of Bledsoe’s best performances in a New Orleans uniform.
Bledsoe on the last Knicks shot at the end of regulation: "I should've fouled D Rose and sent him to the line."
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) April 18, 2021
Kira Lewis Jr. played a little bit less than usual, racking up just 12 minutes in which he scored three points and delivered a pair of assists.
Like I mentioned after the Pelicans’ last game versus the Wizards, Lewis has stagnated a bit over the last few weeks. That’s normal for a rookie and nothing to be concerned about.
The only bad thing is that New Orleans has no one to pick up what they are lacking with Lewis’ production having waned. Nickeil Alexander-Walker was the other main guy tasked with providing firepower off the bench, but he has missed the last eight games with an ankle injury.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Knicks: Grades for the wings
Brandon Ingram didn’t play badly, but the Pelicans probably expect more from their second-best player.
Ingram had an inefficient performance, going for 19 points but on just 33 percent shooting. He missed both of his threes, as well, although he got to the line plenty of times.
I would have liked to see Ingram get the Pels’ last shot in the fourth quarter if Stan Van Gundy was set on getting a jumper. His decision to give Bledsoe the potential game winner was baffling, even if the Pelicans’ guard had the hot hand in the second half.
Naji Marshall was solid—not great, but he was fine.
In truth, this is what we should expect from Marshall. The former Xavier standout continues to make the most out of the minutes liberated by Josh Hart’s injury, but let’s be careful to not want too much from Marshall.
He is not going to graze a triple double on a regular basis as he did against the Wizards. Instead, I expect Marshall to have nights like this, where he does a bit of everything but to a much smaller degree.
Marshall finished with nine points and three assists, which is perfectly acceptable. I still want to see his two-way contract be converted to a regular deal.
James Johnson struggled to make an impact against the Knicks.
The veteran wing had one nice take to the rim, but nothing else really. He missed eight of his nine shots and nullified his one assist by committing a turnover. Johnson also was not much of a factor defensively, which is an area that he has often contributed in since arriving at the Smoothie King Center.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Johnson this summer. The Pelicans could use a player and especially a veteran like him. Calculating the type of money he will demand is guesswork, but I can’t imagine Johnson commanding a sizable contract.
New two-way signing James Nunnally got some run again, even if it was only for six minutes.
The veteran wing was tasked with spacing the floor, but didn’t really get many touches. However, it’s good to have a legit outside threat. For now, it seems like Stan Van Gundy might prefer him to Wes Iwundu.
Nunnally scored his first points in a Pels uniform after attacking a closeout and pulling up into a jumper.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Knicks: Grades for the bigs
Steven Adams had another good game.
The New Zealand center was the Pels’ primary scorer during the opening moments of the game. Adams got off to a quick start and ended with 10 points, eight of those in the first quarter.
Adams dominated around the basket. I thought he protected the rim solidly and he devoured rebounds. The Kiwi big is so good at crashing the boards that watching him do just that is pretty fun. Adams finished with 14 rebounds and eight of them were offensive boards.
Jaxson Hayes played well during his 17 minutes on the floor.
The second-year big leveraged his athleticism effectively. He had a couple of dunks, including a pretty incredible lob finish in transition, four offensive rebounds, and two blocks. Hayes had struggled a bit recently, so it was good to see him play well at Madison Square Garden.
One thing I’m tracking: his free throws. Hayes made both of his foul shots against the Knicks and is up to 76 percent from the line this season. That, plus the trifecta of threes he has made, bodes well for his shooting future.