• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Knicks vie to halt losing streak vs. Pelicans

Jan 19, 2015 - 3:19 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The New York Knicks will try to halt a franchise-record, 16-game losing streak Monday evening when the New Orleans Pelicans visit Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks haven't won since Dec. 12 at Boston and haven't won at home since Nov. 22 versus the Philadelphia 76ers, a span of 12 consecutive games. New York has the worst record in the NBA by three games over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Last time out, the Knicks fell to the Milwaukee Bucks, 95-79, in London, England on Thursday.

Knicks star Carmelo Anthony had 25 points and three steals following a six- game absence due to a knee injury. Travis Wear added 13 points off the bench. Jose Calderon managed 11 and Tim Hardaway, Jr. scored 10 for the second unit.

"I can't really pinpoint or sit here and say what exactly is wrong," Anthony said. "The one thing we can control as a team and as players is our confidence. It seems like guys are not playing with confidence. That was just what I saw the past couple of weeks being able to sit back and watch and see what's going on kind of from a spectator's view."

New York center Amar'e Stoudemire, who had been sidelined since Dec. 25 with a knee injury, was scoreless in eight first-half minutes and didn't play after the break.

The Knicks, who turned the ball over 21 times, started the game 0-of-10 from the field while watching the Bucks build a 14-0 lead. Milwaukee took a 31-13 lead into the second quarter, led by 24 in the second and staked a 19-point edge at half.

The Bucks cruised in the second half.

The Pelicans will finish a five-game road trip on Monday and they are 2-2 thus far. New Orleans fell at Boston and Philadelphia, but secured victories in Detroit and Toronto.

It's been a strange trip since the Pelicans bested the two best teams they faced, and lost to the worst two teams on the trek.

On Sunday, after losing by 15 to the 76ers, the Pelicans pulled out a 95-93 win over the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors.

Tyreke Evans hit a sweeping layup with 1.6 seconds left to give the Pelicans the victory. Evans drew the attention of three Raptors on his game-winning layup, but got it to fall regardless.

"(The Raptors) were blitzing the pick-and-roll, so I wanted to back up and get a good head start and build up steam," Evans explained. "I kind of read Amir Johnson - he stopped a little bit - so once I saw him pause, I knew I had him beat, and I tried to finish at the rim."

Despite playing without star big man Anthony Davis (toe) and point guard Jrue Holiday (ankle), the Pelicans rallied around Evans and reserve center Alexis Ajinca, who scored 26 and 22 points, respectively. Evans added five rebounds and five assists, while Ajinca shot 10-for-13 in 34 minutes off the bench. Eric Gordon had 14 points in the win.

Davis and Holiday are listed as out for Monday's contest.

The Pelicans beat the Knicks by 11 in New Orleans on Dec. 9, but the Knicks have won nine of the last 12 meetings. The Pelicans have emerged victorious in two of their last three visits to MSG.