It was Payton's 11th career triple-double. On November 16, against the New York Knicks, Payton returned to the lineup after missing nine games with a sprained right ankle, only to fracture a finger in his left hand after eight minutes on the court. He was subsequently ruled out for approximately six weeks. He returned to action on December 31 against the Minnesota Timberwolves after a 22-game absence. In his second game back on January 2, he scored 25 points in a 126–121 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. On March 10, he had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 128–116 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. On March 12, he had his second consecutive triple-double with 14 points, a career-high 15 rebounds and 11 assists in a 130–113 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, becoming the first New Orleans player to have a triple-double in consecutive games since Chris Paul in 2008. On March 15, he had his third consecutive triple-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high 16 assists in a 122–110 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. The next day, he recorded his fourth straight triple-double with 16 points, 16 assists and 13 rebounds in a 138–136 overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns, joining James Harden, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Russell Westbrook as the only players since the 1983–84 season to record triple-doubles in as many as four straight games, and eighth in NBA history. Payton recorded his fifth consecutive triple-double two days later with 19 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a 129–125 overtime win over the Dallas Mavericks. He also tied Chris Paul for most triple-doubles in a season in franchise history with six, and became only the fifth player to record five consecutive triple-doubles, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, and Russell Westbrook. New York Knicks (2019–2021) On July 9, 2019, Payton signed a reported two-year deal with the New York Knicks. He struggled with injuries early in the season, missing 17 straight games. Upon returning, he provided playmaking ability the Knicks were lacking and was promoted to the starting lineup. On January 31, 2020, Payton received a one-game suspension for pushing Jae Crowder in a January 29 game against the Memphis Grizzlies. On February 3, Payton recorded the 17th triple-double of his career with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 15 assists in a 139–134 overtime win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.