New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) looks to post up against New Orleans Pelicans guard Josh Richardson (2) in the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Julius Randle scored a game-high 28 points and Mitchell Robinson posted a double-double Saturday night for the host New York Knicks, who continued surging and never trailed in a 128-106 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Robinson had 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field and added 13 rebounds for the Knicks, who won for the second time in 24 hours and the seventh time in eight games.
New York is in sixth place — the last guaranteed playoff spot — in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind the fifth-place Brooklyn Nets and 2 1/2 games behind the fourth-place Cleveland Cavaliers.
RJ Barrett scored 25 points while Jalen Brunson had 20 points for the Knicks, who tied a season high by draining 19 3-pointers. Josh Hart (15 points) and Immanuel Quickley (13) each got into double figures off the bench.
Julius Randle sounds off on D-Rose's standing ovation in the Garden tonight 🌹 pic.twitter.com/oy4FTK9AkA
— NBA (@NBA) February 26, 2023
Brandon Ingram scored 19 points and Jonas Valanciunas (12 points, 10 rebounds) had a double-double for the Pelicans, who have lost three straight and are 4-14 since Jan. 16.
Josh Richardson scored 16 points, CJ McCollum added 13 and Trey Murphy III had 11 points off the bench as New Orleans fell out of a three-way tie for seventh place in the West.
The Knicks opened their first double-digit lead at 18-8 when Robinson finished off an alley-oop with 7:42 left in the first.
The Pelicans scored the next five points before New York finished the quarter on a 24-13 run to close the period with a 42-26 lead. Randle had eight of his 16 first-quarter points in that surge.
The Pelicans got no closer than 14 in the second, which ended with the Knicks up 73-52.
New Orleans mounted an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to 94-78 with 2:58 remaining in the third before New York scored eight of the final 12 points to extend the lead to 102-82.
The Knicks took their first 30-point lead at 120-90 when Randle dunked off Quickley’s pass off the backboard with 6:31 remaining. New York led by as many as 32 before the Pelicans ended the game on a 12-2 run.