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Pelicans Towel Boy Gets Technical Foul vs. Knicks

The New York Knicks earned some points through unconventional means in New Orleans.

Geoff Magliocchetti

Dec 21, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans mascot Pierre T. Pelican performs during a time out in the second half against the New York Knicks at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans mascot Pierre T. Pelican performs during a time out in the second half against the New York Knicks at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
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Between models and towel carriers, opponents appear to be resorting to whatever means necessary to stop the New York Knicks.

The Knicks benefitted from one of more bizarre technical foul calls in recent memory during Saturday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans, as second quarter play at Smoothie King Center was stopped when the hosts' maintenance workers made an unauthorized entry on the floor.

The stoppage occurred shortly after a contested out of bounds call, one where the ball seemed to bounce off the head of a Pelicans player. As play was set to get back underway with a Knicks inbounds pass, the towel carrier attempted to mop up, much to the chagrin of would-be passer Jalen Brunson and other New Yorkers on the floor.

Officials whistled the Pelicans for a delay of game. Since it was their second such charge of the game, a technical foul was called against them, granting the Knicks one free throw. Brunson sank the awarded freebie for one of a season-best 39 points. New York won the game 104-93 after trailing by as much as 14 during the second half.

SiriusXM NBA host Rob Perez theorized that the employee's entry was "an attempt to purposely or inadvertently buy them a couple extra seconds." Knicks star Josh Hart, one of the five Knicks on the floor at the time, seemed to agree with that assesment.

"They knew what they were doing. Poor ballboy got yelled at,” Josh Hart told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “Their bench was telling him that.” 

New Orleans did not wind up challenging the call and play resumed shortly after. The supposed charge against the towel man officially went down as a team technical foul against the Pelicans, who led by five at the time of the incident.

In any event, it's the latest bizarre happening in a Pelicans season that has gone completely off the rails. Saturday marked their 15th loss in their past 16 games as they continued to work with depleted rosters that frequently lack the participation of franchise faces Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.

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Geoff Magliocchetti
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI

Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks

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