NEW ORLEANS (Interstat) — A surging New York Knicks squad, led by the red-hot Jalen Brunson, visits the struggling New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night in a matchup of teams at opposite ends of the NBA standings. The game at Smoothie King Center pits a Knicks team (22-9) with the league’s second-best record against a Pelicans club (8-24) near the bottom of the Western Conference. Brunson enters on a remarkable offensive tear, averaging 31.2 points and 6.4 assists over his last 11 games. He is coming off a 34-point performance in a 126-124 home win over Cleveland on Christmas Day. Jordan Clarkson added 25 points and rookie Tyler Kolek had 16 points and nine assists in that victory. The Knicks have won 10 of their last 12, showcasing one of the league’s most potent offenses during that stretch. New Orleans, meanwhile, has dropped two straight, including a 115-108 home loss to Phoenix on Friday. Zion Williamson paced the Pelicans with 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists in that contest. Williamson has been efficient lately, scoring at least 20 points in four of his last six outings while averaging 24.3 points on 65% shooting over his past three games. The Pelicans have struggled defensively, a bad omen against a high-scoring Knicks team. New York has scored 124 or more points in seven of its last ten games. This is the first meeting between the teams this season. The Knicks will embark on a lengthy road trip after this game, with their next home contest not until Jan. 2. The Pelicans begin a three-game homestand before hitting the road for a five-game trip starting Jan. 4. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST.