Pelicans (14-21), Knicks (16-16)
New Orleans’ five-game holiday homestand began with a disappointing defeat to Russell Westbrook and Oklahoma City on Dec. 21, but the Pelicans didn’t lose again after that. Capped by a fairly convincing victory over New York on Friday, New Orleans finished 4-1 over a 10-day period, closing out the 2016 calendar year within striking distance of eighth place in the Western Conference. Not bad for a team that started 0-8, then 2-10 prior to Jrue Holiday’s season debut in mid-November.
The hosts led for roughly 90 percent of Friday’s interconference meeting, leading by as many as 16 points and holding the edge on the scoreboard after every quarter.