Pelicans at Knicks
The New Orleans Pelicans finally got their first win but lost star forward Anthony Davis in the process, and the wins have been hard to come by since. The Pelicans will try to nip their latest slide at two games when they visit the New York Knicks on Sunday.
Davis missed his second straight game on Friday and watched as New Orleans shot 36.6 percent in a 100-81 loss at the Toronto Raptors. Davis suffered a hip contusion in the 120-105 win over Dallas on Tuesday – the Pelicans’ lone triumph on the season – and remains day-to-day with Ryan Anderson taking over his spot in the starting lineup. Anderson and/or Davis will get the task of trying to stop Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis, a 7-3 Latvian who has scored in double figures in eight of his first 10 NBA games. Porzingis went for 11 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes on Friday but New York could not find its way around the Cleveland Cavaliers while falling for the fifth time in the last seven games, 90-84.
TV: Noon, ET, FSN New Orleans, MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE PELICANS (1-8): Shooting guard Eric Gordon is trying to keep New Orleans afloat without Davis and averaged 28 points in the last two games, including a season-high 30 on 11-of-22 shooting in Friday’s setback. The 26-year-old spent most of his career battling through injuries but has played in all nine games this season and is averaging 20 points. Gordon has hit at least three 3-pointers in each of the last six games and is connecting at 39 percent from beyond the arc.
ABOUT THE KNICKS (4-6): New York is stepping up on the defensive end but can’t seem to find enough scoring to finish games off. The Knicks are averaging 87.8 points in their last five losses and shot 36.7 percent from the floor in Friday’s loss, including just 12 points in the final 12 minutes. New York took a 53-46 lead into the half against the Eastern Conference-best Cavaliers behind 22 points from Carmelo Anthony, but the star small forward managed only four points after the break and finished 9-of-20 from the field – the ninth time in 10 games he failed to shoot at least 50 percent.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Knicks PF Derrick Williams averaged 11.3 points in his first six outings but has been held to four per game over the last four.
2. New Orleans C Omer Asik (calf) is 1-of-6 from the field in three games since returning to the lineup.
3. The teams split the two meetings last season, with each protecting homecourt.