Playoff-race pressure mounts for Knicks, Pelicans

It's understandable for observers to divide the NBA season into two easily distinguishable halves -- before the All-Star break and after it.

But the New York Knicks and New Orleans Pelicans -- both in the thick of jumbled races in their conferences -- know the urgency required for the post-All-Star break stretch, which leaves everyone much closer to the finish line than the starting line.

The Knicks and Pelicans will lo