Jrue Holiday returned from a toe injury and took a hard shot to the eye
for his trouble. Still, he managed to provide the Pelicans with some
relief from their recent rut before absorbing the latest blow to his
health.
Holiday scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and New Orleans
snapped a three-game slide with a 99-91 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday night.
Returning from a two-game absence because of his toe injury, Holiday
took over a tight game in the final minutes, scoring six points during a
9-0 run that gave New Orleans a 93-85 lead.
But when he walked off the court in the final minute, his right eye was
nearly swollen shut because of a collision with Kristaps Porzingis.
Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said team doctors needed to examine
Holiday's orbital socket — just the latest medical matter for his
injury-decimated team.
"I'm going to send out an all-points bulletin to anybody in the French
Quarter or anywhere else; we need a voodoo doctor or something here,"
Gentry said. "We've got to find the bones under this place or do
something."
Still, the Pelicans won for the first time this season when scoring
fewer than 100 points. New Orleans had been 0-33 in such games.
Former Knick Toney Douglas scored 16 points and Luke Babbitt added 14 for the Pelicans.
Carmelo Anthony scored 22 for New York, while Robin Lopez added 17 points. Porzingis had 16 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots.
A little boy ran onto the court during a stoppage in play in the final
minutes and went straight to Anthony, giving the Knicks star a brief
hug. Anthony kindly patted the boy on the head.
"It was a little kid," Anthony said when asked about his affectionate
response to the child. "I was shocked. I didn't really know who was it
until I actually looked over and saw that it was a kid."
New York was in position to win when Jose Calderon's 3 capped an 8-0 run
that put the Knicks up 85-84 with 3:05 left. But New York then missed
two shots and turned the ball over twice while the Pelicans surged back
in front.
After hitting a pair of free throws to put New Orleans ahead 88-85,
Holiday added a layup in traffic and a tough, turnaround fade from 17
feet. The Pelicans weren't threatened after that.
New York led much of the game and by as many as 10 points in each half, but labored through costly dry spells.
New York was up 59-49 after Lopez's dunk in the third quarter. Then
Holiday, Babbitt and Dante Cunningham each hit 3s during a 15-0 run that
put New Orleans back in front.
"We should have won this game. There's no if, ands or buts about that,"
Anthony said, noting that the injury-decimated Pelicans are missing most
of their key players. "Most of the guys (still available to play) on
their team — no disrespect to them — they play a limited role. They play
limited minutes."
COURT INVASION
The chief of arena security, Russ Bourgeois, declined to comment on the
incident in which the boy ran onto the court to hug Anthony.
In New York City, the so-called "Calvin Klein
Law" subjects those who walk onto the court during a game to arrest and
fines. The law was passed in 2003 after designer Calvin Klein walked
onto the court at Madison Square Garden and attempted to chat with
Knicks player Latrell Sprewell.
"I think it was because he was a little kid, they just let him go,"
Anthony said. "Definitely a security issue though, for sure."
The boy ran back into the stands and up stairs past an apparent female
guardian, who, looking embarrassed, appeared to usher him toward the
exits.
TIP-INS
Knicks: Two of Porzingis' blocks thwarted apparent dunk attempts — one
by Alonzo Gee and one by Alexis Ajinca. ... Baton Rouge native Langston
Galloway had eight points and four assists in 22 minutes with a
contingent of home-state fans in the stands wearing blue and orange
T-shirts with his name on them. He appeared to twist his right ankle in
the fourth quarter and had to come out of the game.
Pelicans: Cunningham and Ajinca each scored 12 for the Pelicans. ... Gee
scored nine points in the first half but left the game in the third
quarter with a right quadriceps injury and did not return. ... F Ryan
Anderson missed his fifth straight game with groin soreness in both
legs, while guard Norris Cole missed his 11th straight with back
soreness. ... New Orleans put its 36th different starting lineup of the
season on the court, opening with Holiday and Babbitt at guard, and
Ajinca at forward and Omer Asik at center.
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