Hornets Handle Knicks to Get Back in Win Column
The Charlotte Hornets defeated the New York Knicks 115-98 in a matchup of two teams who are going in opposite directions. The Knicks sit at third in the Eastern Conference while the Hornets are preparing for 2026. Nevertheless, this was a huge win for Charlotte tonight as they beat New York for the first time this year. LaMelo Ball led Charlotte in scoring with 25 points to go along with eight assists.
The Hornets scored quickly in the paint to start the game. DaQuan Jeffries and Mark Williams took advantage of the Knicks' defense's miscommunications to open the game on an 11-4 run. New York settled down and tied the game at 15 at the six-minute mark. OG Anunoby had 10 points in the quarter; however, he was the lone bright spot for the Knicks. The Hornets ended the quarter on a 12-4 run to take a 27-19 lead into the second. Charlotte scored 18 of their 27 points in the paint and held the Knicks scoreless in the final three minutes of the quarter.
The Hornets pulled away a bit in the second by going up by as many as 14. Charlotte was the more energized, determined team as they attacked the pain, fought for every rebound, and played tight defense against one of the top teams in the East. They led 41-27 before Karl-Anthony Towns hit two quick threes to cut the lead to eight to try to wake up the Knicks offense. New York shot 35 percent in the 1st half and was outrebounded 27-17. Charlotte shot 50 percent, limited the Knicks to four three-pointers, and their bench outscored New York’s bench 17-0 in the first half as they took a 54-44 lead into the third quarter.
In the third quarter, both teams were going shot-for-shot with each other as both teams could not miss. Charlotte matched New York’s physicality and frustrated Towns to the point that he picked up a technical foul. The Hornets extended their 10-point lead at halftime to a thirteen-point even after LaMelo Ball picked up his fourth foul. Miles Bridges picked up his scoring and finished with 15 points. The power forward has been on an amazing run as of late and kept the Hornets' offense humming while Ball was on the bench. The Hornets lead 85-72 heading into the fourth quarter. Charlotte is 10-5 on the season when they hold a lead or are tied entering the fourth this season.
The Hornets owned the fourth as they desperately looked like the team who wanted to win this game. They were aggressive offensively and did not let their foot off the gas. The Knicks could not cut the deficit into single digits as Ball and Williams provided the knockout shots that the Hornets needed to pick up this win. Anunoby finished with 25 points and six rebounds and Towns finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds as New York emptied the benches at the two-minute mark. Williams recorded his 17th double-double and had a highlight sequence of plays where he blocked Anunoby on one end and threw down a thunderous dunk at the other. Charlotte won this game convincingly from start to finish. The Hornets look to continue their winning ways when they head to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder on March 21st.
