NEW YORK _ Last week, Knicks coach David Fizdale called it a learning opportunity when he put all three of his rookies in the game in New Orleans and saw the game slip away.
This time as the game against the Pelicans at Madison Square Garden went down to the wire, lottery pick Kevin Knox was on the bench. Second-round pick Mitchell Robinson had already fouled out in just nine minutes of action. But undrafted rookie Allonzo Trier was on the floor, this time not for a lesson, but to try to carry the Knicks across the finish line.
Trier combined with Emmanuel Mudiay to provide the scoring punch needed on this night, the pair contributing 52 points between them to lead the Knicks to a 114-109 win over the Pelicans.
Mudiay scored 27 points and Trier chipped in 25 off the bench, a much-needed contribution as Tim Hardaway Jr. endured a 2-for-15 shooting night.
After a Knox floater with 9:28 to play, Mudiay and Trier delivered the final 19 points for the Knicks until Hardaway was fouled with 7.4 seconds left. That including one of two from the line for Trier for a four-point lead with 10.2 seconds remaining. After Anthony Davis scored with 8.2 seconds left to cut the gap to 111-109 the Knicks called timeout and Mudiay was fouled away from the ball, awarding the Knicks one free throw, which he converted, and the ball, leading to Hardaway's free throws.
Late in the third quarter Davis limped off the court and went straight to the locker room. With the score tied, it seemed like just the sort of opening the Knicks needed.
Davis seemed bound for the sort of game he had against the Knicks last week in New Orleans when his 43-point, 17-rebound performance led the Pelicans to a come-from-behind victory. This time, with the score tied at 81-81 late in the third quarter, David limped off the floor and straight to the locker room, taking his 31 points and 12 rebounds with him. He would add just two more points late in the game.
But the Pelicans managed to take a three-point lead into the fourth quarter and stretched it to nine early in the period. A 3-point field goal by Mudiay cut the lead to 103-99 and after Ian Clark missed from beyond the arc, Mudiay raced downcourt, drawing a foul and went to the line with 3:18 remaining. He missed one of two and more important, David returned to the game.
Still, the Knicks kept pushing forward. When Trier converted a tough layup the lead was just one. Trier then went to the line and put the Knicks ahead for the first time in the fourth quarter, hitting both shots for a 104-103 advantage with 2:07 to play.
The Knicks are now 20 games into the season with a 6-14 record and two straight wins, still headed toward the expected lottery pick. But head coach David Fizdale is pleased with where the team is heading.
"Learning for all of us. Trying to figure each other out," Fizdale said. "Trying to figure out the NBA for a lot of these guys. Learning our culture, learning our system, learning a new staff. That's really what this whole first 20, 25 games was about for us.
"It's just trying to settle a foundation for the big picture and figuring out who we have and what we have moving forward. I've been happy with the way the guys have stuck with it and really have kept a workman's type of approach to this whole thing through the ups and the downs. Hopefully we can continue to grow."
Early in the game it was all Vonleh and Trier keeping the Knicks in the game. Vonleh, who entered the game having hit five of his last eight 3-point field-goal attempts still seemed to catch the Pelicans by surprise as they repeatedly left them open outside the arc. Midway through the second quarter Vonleh had already hit four of five from long range and finished the half with 14 points. When he stopped scoring Trier took over, adding 14 points in the half, too.
Before the game Fizdale took the opportunity to praise Vonleh's progress as the 23-year-old former lottery pick has taken hold of a starting spot.
"I would say he's probably overall our most complete player," Fizdale said. "He's starting to make his threes. He brings the ball up for us. He guards one through five. He blocks shots at the rim, runs the floor. He's really showing that he's an NBA basketball player and I think he's just going to keep getting better."
That allowed the Knicks to trail just 60-59 at intermission while their leading scorer on the season, Hardaway was scoreless, missing all eight of his field goal attempts. Hardaway's struggles continued into the second half as he missed three more shots before he finally connected on his 12th attempt of the night. But he followed that made 3-pointer with an air-ball from 3-point range.
