NEW ORLEANS — RJ Barrett played second fiddle at Duke, but Zion Williamson isn’t playing fiddles or basketball these days.
Barrett? He’s thriving on the Knicks and burying the Pelicans.
With Williamson in street clothes, Barrett dominated lowly New Orleans with a career-high 35 points in a 123-117 Knicks victory on Mischief Night in New Orleans. Barrett, who was drafted two spots behind Williamson in 2019, took full control in crunch time of the close contest.
In the final 93 seconds, Barrett buried two 3-pointers, scored seven points and assisted on Taj Gibson’s dunk. He even put his finger to his mouth after one trey to quiet the crowd.
It wasn’t the expected steamroll for the Knicks, who are now 5-1 and had a favorable matchup. The Pelicans (1-6) not only have the NBA’s worst record, they were playing Saturday without their two best players: Williamson and Brandon Ingram. They surged late in the fourth quarter — cutting the deficit to 2 with about two minutes left — before Barrett’s takeover.
The Knicks, overall, handled their business but it wasn’t the crispest effort. It’s a sign of a good team to expect better even in a road victory. Barrett was exceptional while shooting 12 for 18 with eight rebounds and six assists. It was the best game of his career. Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker each added 19 points.
Williamson, meanwhile, took a few dribbles in pregame and that was the extent of his action. He spent the game on the New Orleans bench in a yellow hoodie, with the uncertain status of his repaired broken foot and the weight of the organization — and, to a lesser degree, the entire NBA — sitting on his broad shoulders.
By all accounts, Williamson is close to returning. But then what? There are already rumblings about his discontent in New Orleans and added pounds. From the atmosphere Saturday in Smoothie King Center, it’s tough to blame him for any lack of enthusiasm with the organization. The arena was about 3/4 empty and the entertainment highlight was a halftime show that included fans eating worms. Predictably, the Pelicans didn’t have the firepower to stop the Knicks’ late push.
Barrett even appeared to glance in Williamson’s direction after nailing a 3-pointer in front of New Orleans’ bench with about eight minutes remaining. The two embraced with a hug after the game.
Ingram, an All-Star last season, was out with a hip contusion and the Pelicans were led by Jonas Valanciunas’ 27 points.
