NEW ORLEANS — After point guard Immanuel Quickley buried a 3-pointer to give the Knicks a 10-point lead in the second quarter, a visiting bluesman sitting baseline clapped extra hard in the Big Easy Wednesday night.
Knicks owner James Dolan made his first pandemic road game appearance as one of the 3,700 spectators at Smoothie King Center. Dolan sat between his handpicked team president, Leon Rose, and senior VP William Wesley as he finally can cheer a winning team.
Julius Randle racked up 32 points and the Knicks stymied Zion Williamson late, so Dolan got to watch his team post its first four-game winning streak of this season, beating the Pelicans, 116-106.
Williamson, the NBA’s new superstar who rambled to the rim with devastating power, finished with 25 points, but scored just four in the final period as the Knicks swarmed him at the perimeter to get the ball out of his hands. He shot 10-for-19, but didn’t hit a 3-pointer.
Dolan fist-bumped coach Tom Thibodeau and a few of the players as they were coming off the court after the win.
“That was great,’’ Thibodeau said. “It’s always great to have him around, I think the players, appreciate it. We had Dr. [Lisa] Callahan [the team’s chief medical officer] here as well, so excited to have her. So perhaps they’re our good luck charms. Also had Leon and Wes, had a full house.’’
Next month, Dolan will likely be sitting in his Garden suite watching the Knicks’ first postseason game since 2013. He has been to almost all the Garden games this season, but since fans were allowed back, he has been hidden from view in his suite.
“He’s been very supportive,’’ Thibodeau added. “He’s been great for us, been great with me. I know. Leon, Wes and [general manager] Scott Perry are in constant communication [with him]. Everything that we have asked for in terms of having a first class organization, he’s been committed, and you can’t ask for anything more from an owner. So, we’re excited about that.’’
After being left out of the playoffs seven straight years, Dolan’s Knicks improved to 29-27 and moved into sixth place in the Eastern Conference following Miami’s loss in Denver.
Though the Knicks’ starting center, Nerlens Noel, was a late scratch with an ankle sprain, their other free-agent signee, Alec Burks, continued to be clutch. Burks caught fire for the Knicks in the fourth quarter, scoring the first nine points. He finished with 21 points, drilling 4 of 7 3-pointers. The Knicks shot 17-for-33 from 3-point range.
“The thing I like about us is the 3s we are getting are really high-percentage plays,’’ Thibodeau said. “Guys are playing for each other and making great rim reads. It’s rhythm basketball.’’
Randle won his matchup with Williamson, going 5-for-8 from 3-point land, while adding eight rebounds and five assists.
“He’s a tough matchup man,’’ said Randle, who banged in his first three 3-pointers. “He’s explosive. He doesn’t settle. He gets to the paint, finishes well. When teams collapse, he makes the right plays and doesn’t force anything. He’s gifted. You got to show him a lot of bodies, but it’s team effort sort of like Giannis [Antetokounmpo] in guarding him and walling him off.’’
Williamson tipped his hat to Randle for winning the battle.
“I have a lot of respect for Julius,’’ Williamson said. “He’s improved his game every year. I’ve got nothing but respect for players like that. Great dude as well.”
The Knicks loaded up on Williamson late, and their rugged defense shined when they needed it most.
“When you deal with special players you’re going to have special rules — you have to game-plan for them,’’ Thibodeau said. “And then you have to be willing to — when you commit the second defender — OK, how are we going to react out. That also puts you in rotation.’’
They made it work in stomping out the Pelicans in the final period, ending New Orleans’ three-game winning streak as it fights for the final Western Conference play-in berth.
“They’ve been playing great basketball,’’ Thibodeau said. ‘It’s a good solid win for us.’’
To post the big road win with a game at Dallas on tap Friday, the Knicks didn’t even need much from RJ Barrett, Williamson’s Duke buddy, who had his second straight off night and finished with just six points.
In his first career game against the Knicks, Williamson looked amped, especially facing his Duke compadre, Barrett.
Randle and Derrick Rose got hot in a 40-point third quarter, and the Knicks took a 93-89 lead into the fourth.
Burks drilled a 3 with 10:25 left to push the lead to 99-90 and hit another 3 with 8:10 left as the Knicks jumped ahead 104-93. Burks’ final dagger came with 1:20 left, when his 3-pointer bumped the lead to eight points.
“He’s always been a big shot-maker, and he’s got great poise,’’ Thibodeau said of Burks. “The poise under pressure is huge. The game’s not too big.’’
But this game, this win, was big.