It was a big fight of powerful left-handed left-handers when Zion Williamson went toe to toe with Julius Randle.
But the game was decided by the Knicks backcourt of Derrick Rose and Reggie Bullock, who propelled the Knicks to their sixth straight win, 122-112 in extra time, over the Pelicans to move their record to a record of 31- 27.
The Knicks rallied from a six-point deficit in the final 1:30 – capped by Rose who drove the inbounds down the track and had the means to pass a pass to Bullock, who took the game-binding 3-pointer out the left corner threw with 2.3 seconds to go. The Pelicans could have fouled Rose, but perhaps thought he was going for the easy 2.
“I thought about photographing it at first, but I saw Reggie in the corner,” Rose said in his interview on the court after the game. “I delivered it on the spot and Reg is a great shooter.”
Rose blocked Eric Bledsoe at the buzzer to force overtime. Rose scored the first bucket of overtime in a row layup and Bullock hit a 3 pointer when the Knicks drove off and Williamson disappeared.
Rose finished with 23 points and five assists in his best game since returning from COVID-19. Bullock added 15 points (6-for-8 from the field) before going out in OT.
“There was no ambiguity,” said a miffed Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy about Rose-Bullock’s latest game of regulation. “We made two mistakes during the game. We ruined the play. If we do that, we deserve to lose … I don’t care if you’re a senior in high school, you have to do what you need to do with 7.8 seconds left. “
In addition to not being fouled, Van Gundy was referring to Lonzo Ball cheating on Bullock, leaving him open.
In his first NBA game at the Garden, Williamson scored 34 points when the Pelicans made a 13-point second half comeback at half time and looked like they had the rematch victory in their pocket. But these Knicks never give up.
Williamson put on a show, hitting 13 of the 23 baskets and a handful of driving slams. Williamson wanted to avenge a loss against the Knicks in New Orleans on Wednesday, where the Knicks got the ball out of his hands in the fourth quarter.
Randle, who went scoreless in the first quarter, finished with 33 points, but shot only 11 of the 28 points. He had 10 assists but four turnovers. He’s scored 30-plus in four consecutive games, hitting a late 3-pointer in extra time to give the Knicks an eight-point lead to seal victory.
RJ Barrett dropped out with 4:07 left after Williamson grabbed an offensive rebound and Barrett dragged him down. Williamson was injured in the game, but still shot the free throws before getting briefly out of play. Barrett, opposite his former Duke buddy, scored 18 points, but made six turns.