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The New York Knicks will look to continue their good form as they embark on a road trip. They face the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Knicks come into the game after a nail-biting 104-103 win against the Chicago Bulls. Meanwhile, the Pelicans suffered back-to-back defeats after a disappointing 113-109 loss to the Kings.
The Knicks showed grit and determination to come out with a victory against an in-form Chicago Bulls team. Kemba Walker dazzled for the Knicks by using his superior ball handling skills to create good looks for both him and his teammates. Kemba was automatic from the perimeter, hitting five out of six threes which gave his team a significant advantage and helped them seal the victory.
The Pelicans, on the other hand, have dropped five of the six games they have played in with yet another defeat after falling to the Sacramento Kings. New Orleans looks lost without its anchor and franchise cornerstone Zion Williamson, who's still recovering from a foot-surgery he had in the offseason. The Pelicans once again struggled to create offense without their star forward, whose gravity usually gives them good looks. It also didn't help that their shooting woes continued after a dismal 25.5% shooting night from the the perimeter.
Match Details
Fixture: New York Knicks vs New Orleans Pelicans | NBA season 2021-22
Date & Time: Saturday, October 30th, 7:00 PM EST (Sunday, October 31st, 4:30 am IST)
Venue: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA.
New York Knicks Preview
The New York Knicks have had a brilliant start to the 2021-22 season, winning four out of the five games that they have played. The Knicks have shown that they have the capability to both run teams off the court and also to grind it out and close games that are neck-and-neck.
The game against the Chicago Bulls was more of the latter. The Knicks relied more on their hustle and defensive intensity to hold a potent Bulls offense featuring the likes of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan at bay. New York dominated on the glass, grabbing 11 offensive boards that were vital in creating second-chance opportunities that eventually tilted the game in their favor.
Kemba Walker might have top scored with 21 points but the star of the show was RJ Barrett, whose brilliant defense on DeRozan sealed the game for his team. Barrett is expected to have more such games if the Knicks are to make a deep playoff run in the stacked Eastern Conference.
Key Player- Julius Randle
Julius Randle came out of the gate gun blazing in the 2021/22 season, averaging 23 points, 12.2 rebounds, seven assists, 1.4 blocks and one steal. The Knicks' fortunes largely rely on how well Randle plays this season, and judging by the start he's had, they have a pretty good chance of accomplishing their goals.
Randle had a quiet game against the Bulls, acting as more of a facilitator than a scorer. He ended the game with 13 points, 16 boards, nine assists and a steal. He dominated on the glass, grabbing four offensive rebounds that provided his team with second-chance opportunities.
Randle looks set to dominate against the Pelicans, with New Orleans lacking a strong interior presence to matchup with him. Watch out for Randle having a huge scoring night.
New York Knicks Predicted Lineup
G - Kemba Walker, G - Evan Fournier, F - RJ Barrett, F - Julius Randle, C - Mitchell Robinson
New Orleans Pelicans Preview
The New Orleans Pelicans have had a difficult start to their 2021-22 season without the services of Zion Williamson. The Pelicans suffered back-to-back defeats after a disappointing loss to the Sacramento Kings.
New Orleans outrebounded the Kings and seemed to be in a good position to snatch victory. The Pelicans outscored the Kings in the second half, but their inability to make it count from the perimeter came back to bite them.
The Pelicans will have to do a better job at shooting from three-point territory against a dominant defensive team like the Knicks. A team like that will strangle them and provide very few opportunities to score on the interior compared to the Kings. Sacramento allowed the Pelicans to score 54 points in the paint and that is something they will find very difficult to replicate against the likes of Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson.
Key Player- Brandon Ingram
Brandon Ingram has been the only light on a disastrous start for the New Orleans Pelicans. The young star has been in ref-hot form since the start of the season, averaging 25.6 points, 4.6 assists and 7.6 rebounds.
Ingram once again had a decent outing against the Kings despite not being able to come up with the win. He ended the night by scoring 22 points, grabbing six boards and dishing out six assists.
He will have a much tougher task against a stringet New York defense with the likes of RJ Barrett hounding him every time he touches the ball. Ingram will have to come up with a huge performance if his team is to have any chance of winning against the Knicks.
New Orleans Pelicans Predicted Lineup
G - Devonte' Graham, G - Nickeil Alexander-Walker, F - Brandon Ingram, F - Herbert Jones, C - Jonas Valanciunas
Knicks vs Pelicans Match Prediction
The New York Knicks come into the game in red-hot form and have the defensive capability to strangle a New Orleans Pelicans offense that is struggling at the moment. You can expect the Knicks to walk out of the Smoothie King Center with a comfortable victory. Judging by their performances in the past couple of matches, New Orleans does not look like they can put up a fight unless they have a brilliant shooting performance.
Where to watch Knicks vs Pelicans
The New York Knicks vs. New Orleans Pelicans game will be streamed live on NBA League Pass. Meanwhile, local fans can watch the game on Bally Sports - New Orleans and MSG Network.
