State Game 32 Notes
The Knicks beat the Pelicans 130–125, led by Mohamed Diawara’s 13 points and 2 steals in the 1st quarter with 18 total points, while Brunson and Mikal combined for 20 assists for the game.
The Knicks’ defense was rough overall in Game 32, but one clear standout emerged: Deuce McBride. According to one of my new favorite NBA websites (nbaplaydb.com), McBride allowed just 1-of-10 shooting as the primary defender, making him the best individual defender on the floor against New Orleans. While breakdowns were common across the lineup, McBride consistently stayed attached at the point of attack, forced tough looks, and disrupted rhythm. By comparison, Mikal Bridges allowed 8-of-12 shooting with two threes, Karl-Anthony Towns gave up 5-of-8 with one three, OG Anunoby surrendered 9-of-15 with three threes, and Jalen Brunson allowed 10-of-17, though any night Brunson forces seven misses is still a net positive. Guerschon Yabusele was also excellent defensively, holding his matchups to 3-of-14 shooting with zero threes allowed, quietly anchoring several strong possessions. Yabusele so far this season been awful, a strong -12 rating is a good indicator.
Despite those individual efforts, the Knicks survived a high-scoring, physical, and often sloppy defensive night to beat the Pelicans 130–125. Jalen Brunson finished with 28 points and 10 assists, closing the game with a driving floater and a layup in the final 1:06 to secure the win. OG Anunoby added 23 points and 11 rebounds, while Zion Williamson scored a season-high 32 points for New Orleans in their fourth straight loss. Saddiq Bey and Jordan Poole each had 26, Trey Murphy III scored 21, and the Pelicans led 75–72 at halftime after Bey erupted for 23 points in the first quarter. Jose Alvarado missed the game due to a two-game suspension, and the Knicks improved to 23–9 by out-executing late, even as defensive lapses defined much of the night.
Player of the Game: Mohamed Diawara
Mohamed Diawara delivered a statement performance in just 17.8 minutes, swinging the game early and stabilizing it again late. Diawara finished with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-4 from three, with two steals and zero turnovers. His efficiency was flawless with 100 percent true shooting and effective field goal percentage. Diawara scored 13 points in the first quarter alone, setting the tone when the Knicks desperately needed energy. His impact went beyond scoring, consistently filling lanes in transition and making the right read when pressure arrived.
Key moments defined his night. At 11:37 of the first quarter, Diawara opened the scoring with a driving hook to make it 2–0. At 11:05, he knocked down a catch-and-shoot three off a Karl-Anthony Towns assist for a 5–0 lead. At 7:33, he stepped into another three to give the Knicks a 16–14 edge. At 5:40, he buried another catch-and-shoot triple off a Mikal Bridges pass to push it to 23–19. At 3:54, he finished a layup off a Brunson assist to make it 25–27. After a quiet second half offensively, Diawara still delivered a critical shot late, drilling a catch-and-shoot three at 1:05 of the fourth quarter to pull the Knicks within 68–70 and keep them attached during a dangerous stretch.
Game Notes
First Quarter: Pelicans Punch First, Diawara Answers
The game opened fast and loose. Diawara scored to make it 2–0, but New Orleans quickly answered as Fears dumped off to Bey for a three at 5–5. Bey followed with another jumper to push it to 9–5. Brunson responded with an and-one midrange bucket at 8–9, though OG Anunoby missed a wide-open dunk shortly after. A Diawara steal led to a Towns pass to Bridges for a bucket, cutting it to 10–12. Bey continued attacking, drawing fouls to make it 13–10. Brunson tied it at 13–13 with a step-in three, before Diawara answered again with a step-in three of his own at 16–14, giving him eight points already.
Towns missed an opportunity to return the ball to Diawara in rhythm, but still finished the possession later at the line to make it 18–14. Bey hit a floater to flip it to 18–16, then Towns drove over Looney for 20–16. Diawara drilled another three to push it to 23–19, his third triple of the quarter. Yabusele checked in at 5:20, and after Bey fouled OG, the Knicks led 23–21. Bey then buried back-to-back threes to swing it to 27–23. Brunson forced a tough shot, but made amends by finding Diawara for a bucket at 27–25, giving Diawara 13 points. Bey answered again with another three to make it 30–25, completing an 11–2 Pelicans run. Bridges stopped the bleeding with a pull-up midrange, Yabusele hit a three, Brunson knocked down free throws, but New Orleans closed strong as Poole and Bey continued scoring. The Knicks conceded 41 points in the quarter, their worst defensive first quarter of the season.
Second Quarter: Defensive Issues Continue, OG Keeps Knicks Close
The second quarter opened with Kolek driving and drawing a foul to make it 41–38. Zion rejected Towns at the rim, and an OG 24-second violation summed up the Knicks’ offensive inconsistency. Kolek hit a three off a no-look Towns pass to make it 43–41, but Zion responded with a layup. OG posted up Jordan Hawkins and drew contact, then later took on Zion defensively as the Pelicans pushed the lead to 50–43 after a Poole and-one over McBride.
OG answered with a strong drive and dunk at 45–50, but Zion continued to bully Towns, scoring consecutive buckets to make it 56–48. OG responded again with a drive and dunk off an offensive rebound, cutting it to 56–52. Fears finished a euro-step at 58–52, Bey added an up-and-under at 5:19, and Brunson struggled early, starting 2-of-8. Brunson finally found rhythm with a floater and a step-back midrange to cut it to 63–61, but Zion kept coming. OG went coast to coast to tie it at 65–65, before Poole and Trey Murphy pushed the Pelicans back ahead.
Diawara hit another three at 68–70, OG answered with a drive, and Looney finished an offensive rebound. OG capped his dominant quarter with another dunk, giving him 16 points in the second quarter alone. Zion hit free throws to send New Orleans into halftime up 76–72 after a wild half that featured 12 Knicks seeing the floor.
Third Quarter: Zion Dominates, Knicks Struggle to Respond
The third quarter opened with Queen scoring to make it 77–72, but Zion immediately took over. He scored off a steal, spun over OG for another bucket, and dunked as New Orleans piled up 38 paint points. Diawara made a strong drive-and-kick that led to a Brunson three, then Bridges jumped a passing lane and found Diawara for a transition bucket, giving him 18 points at 79–83. The Pelicans answered again as Murphy drilled a three after a Brunson miss.
Brunson set up Kevin for a drive, Murphy hit another three, and Bridges airballed a look over Fears. A Pelicans turnover led to a Brunson assist for a Bridges layup, followed by a Kevin kick-out to OG for three at 88–93. The Knicks then went cold again. McBride picked up a costly foul on Poole, Brunson missed another tough shot leading to a Poole and-one at 95–88, and the Pelicans pushed the lead back out. Yabusele hit a three, Pevy answered, and the quarter closed with the Knicks still chasing after multiple missed opportunities.
Fourth Quarter: Execution Late Seals It
The fourth quarter began with Bridges hitting a three, but Poole answered immediately. Kolek created an open lane for Bridges, who passed to OG for a missed look, followed by Towns missing a long three with 9:00 left. The game turned increasingly physical. Kolek ran a dribble handoff with McBride for a tying three at 106–106, then Towns knocked down a catch-and-shoot three off a Kolek offensive rebound to give the Knicks a 109–106 lead.
Bey quieted down, scoring just three points after the first quarter, while Queen tied it again. Murphy hit a jab-step three to make it 117–114 with 3:40 left, but Brunson answered with a deep three at 3:30 to tie it. Murphy finished strong inside, McBride responded with a corner three to make it 120–119, and Zion answered yet again at the rim.
OG powered through contact for a dunk at 122–121. McBride grabbed a crucial offensive rebound that led to a Brunson floater at 124–121. Bridges, who finished with 10 assists, helped organize the offense as Brunson drove for a layup at 126–123. Zion hit a floater to cut it to 126–125, but McBride drew a foul with 16.1 seconds left. After free throws made it 128–125, Poole tried to foul-bait McBride and missed. The Knicks closed it out at the line for a 130–125 win.
Reasons Why the Knicks Won:
Mohamed Diawara continues to defy expectations, now with more starts this season than multiple former Knicks first-round picks had in their rookie years. Over the past five seasons, Obi Toppin had zero starts, Immanuel Quickley had three, Quentin Grimes had six, and Pacome Dadiet had zero, while Diawara has already surpassed that group. His first-quarter burst of 13 points, two steals, and three made threes kept the Knicks afloat during their worst defensive stretch.
OG Anunoby delivered a monster performance with 23 points, 11 rebounds, three steals, and a block while finishing plus-16. OG also had 16 points in the 2nd, He attacked the paint relentlessly, won the physical battle late, and controlled the glass. Queen bounced back after scoring zero in the first half to finish with seven points, five assists, and nine rebounds. Zion scored 32 with two steals and two blocks, but finished minus-eight as OG and the Knicks wore him down late.
Bridges and Brunson combined for 20 assists, keeping the offense functional despite breakdowns. Yabusele hit three threes in another solid showcase. Mike Brown played 12 players by halftime, with Pacome Dadiet the only Knick not to appear. Key swings included McCullar finding OG for a three late in the third quarter and the fourth-quarter sequence of Kolek to McBride for three, followed by Towns’ catch-and-shoot three off a Kolek offensive rebound.
Diawara’s 18 points gave the Knicks 11 different players with at least 18 points this season, per Tommy Beer. The kids played meaningful minutes, including Kolek, McCullar, Diawara, and Ariel. McBride returned with 14 points, two threes, a steal, and a plus-eight impact. The Knicks finished with three double-doubles from Brunson, OG, and Towns, knocked down 20 threes on 45.5 percent shooting, recorded 35 assists, and scored 16 fast-break points. Bridges, OG, and Diawara combined for seven steals, while T. Jemison III and McCullar Jr. provided solid minutes.
Final Thoughts:
This was not a clean win, nor was it a defensive showcase, but it was a win built on shot-making, depth, and late-game execution. The Knicks bent repeatedly but responded every time, leaning on Brunson’s composure, OG’s physical dominance, and Diawara’s fearless efficiency. I will also be clear, Yabusele wasn’t mentioned in this article on purpose because he sucks. His 3 3s helped us win the game, but the only reason why he played is pure showcase for a distressed asset. Games like this expose flaws, but they also reveal resilience, and the Knicks once again showed they can survive chaos and still close. Peace and blessings, thank you for reading another State article.