Like what I’ve done in the c/DetroitPistons community, I’ll also be setting up a monthly thread for Hornets post-game recaps starting with the November 17 and 18 back-to-back games against the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks, respectively
Like what I’ve done in the c/DetroitPistons community, I’ll also be setting up a monthly thread for Hornets post-game recaps starting with the November 17 and 18 back-to-back games against the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks, respectively
2023-11-28
Knicks Get Best Of Hornets Again, Offense Sputters Without Ball
Sam Perley, NBA.com/Hornets
Charlotte Records New Season Lows for Points, Free-Throw Attempts in IST Eliminator
The Charlotte Hornets entered Tuesday night’s In-Season Tournament Group Play finale at Madison Square Garden with some extremely slim odds to advance to the Knockout Round. Those faint Quarterfinal dreams ended up being completely squashed for good in the second half of a 115-91 loss to the hometown New York Knicks.
Brandon Miller fought through a second quarter left ankle sprain to finish with a team-high 18 points – 4-of-8 from 3-point range – three rebounds and two assists over 36 minutes. Mark Williams notched his seventh seasonal double-double and third in four games, racking up 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting and a team-high 12 rebounds, six of which were offensive.
Charlotte’s offense without LaMelo Ball – currently sidelined with a right ankle sprain he suffered in Orlando two days ago – was understandably a little discombobulated to start, perhaps contributing to nine first-half turnovers and a 53-44 halftime lead for the Knicks. The deficit got whittled to one early in the third, but New York later ripped off a 26-7 stretch bridging the last two quarters to put the contest away.
The Hornets fell short in several pivotal areas in this one, which happened to be their third loss to New York in eight overall outings since Nov. 12. They established new season lows for total points and free-throw attempts (seven), lost the glass by 13 (54-41), committed 17 turnovers for 23 points the other way, and shot only 50.0% in the paint (21-of-42). In fact, Charlotte shot better from 3-point range (13-of-31; 41.9%), than it did from inside the arc (24-of-58; 41.3%).
“Their [New York] defense is great,” said Hornets Head Coach Steve Clifford. “We had better luck as the game went on, with being more patient, moving the ball, trying to get their size out of the lane, which to start the game, we didn’t have a lot of. A lot of it was them and then poor decision-making by us. Some of its sloppiness, some of its they’re really good on defense.”
He elaborated on New York, “The biggest thing without watching the film is we’re just not organized. The Knicks are as organized as any team in the league. They have a way to play, they play that way, they don’t give possessions away, and that’s what we have to get to.”
Charlotte emptied its bench with about five minutes left in the fourth quarter, allowing James Bouknight (five points on 2-of-3 shooting) to make his season debut. Not having Ball isn’t the end all, be all, but his presence – or lack thereof – was certainly felt on the offensive end. “It’s crushing,” added Clifford, when asked about his latest injury. “We have to have everybody play well.”
Julius Randle led New York with 25 points on 8-of-15 shooting, a career-high-tying 20 rebounds, five assists and two steals in the win. Immanuel Quickley added another 23 points off the bench, his fourth 20-point showing in seven appearances. With the victory and a little help from elsewhere, the Knicks managed to secure the East’s Wild Card spot for the IST Knockout Round.
The Hornets will travel across town and close out their three-game road trip against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, Nov. 30 beginning at 7:30 PM ET at Barclays Center. Catch all the action on Bally Sports Southeast and WFNZ 92.7 FM.