Jalen Brunson, Knicks push past Pelicans for 7th straight win

Jalen Brunson scored 32 points, Karl-Anthony Towns produced a double-double and the New York Knicks won their seventh consecutive game, defeating the visiting New Orleans Pelicans 121-116 on Tuesday night.

Towns finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks (48-25). OG Anunoby also scored 21 points, Mikal Bridges had 14, Mitchell Robinson added 11 and Jordan Clarkson and Josh Hart 10 had each.

Zion Williamson scored 22, Jeremiah Fears put up 21, Saddiq Bey had 18, Trey Murphy III logged 14, Herb Jones added 13 and Karlo Matkovic finished with 12 for the Pelicans (25-48). New Orleans has lost two in a row after a 5-1 run.

Williamson converted a three-point play and Murphy made a 3-pointer to start the second-half scoring and pull New Orleans even at 66. Towns scored five points and Bridges and Anunoby each made a 3-pointer as New York took a 77-70 lead.

The Pelicans scored the next seven points, and the game was tied three more times before Brunson fed Robinson for a dunk that gave the Knicks a 93-92 lead at the end of the third quarter.

New York notched the first five points of the fourth quarter, but Fears scored 11 as New Orleans closed within 109-107. Brunson made consecutive jumpers to give the Knicks a 113-107 lead with 3:26 left.

New Orleans got within three with 15 seconds left on a Murphy layup, but Brunson made two free throws to seal the outcome.

Early on, Dejounte Murray made a 3-pointer, Bey sank two treys and New Orleans took an early 13-7 lead. Towns scored five straight points and Brunson’s 3-pointer gave New York a 22-21 lead.

Anunoby made two 3-pointers and Brunson hit one during a 15-0 run that left New York with a 42-28 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Fears scored seven points as the Pelicans began the second quarter with an 18-2 run to take a two-point lead. Bridges tied the score on a jumper that was the Knicks’ first field goal of the quarter, but Fears answered with a 3-pointer.

New York scored the next seven points, but New Orleans pulled even at 56 before the Knicks grabbed a 66-60 halftime lead after a Murphy dunk in the final seconds.