Charlotte Hornets Stumble Down the Stretch Against the Knicks, Lose Third Straight
Kemba’s big scoring night against the New York Knicks wasn’t enough as the Charlotte Hornets’ dropped their third straight game.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
| Knicks | 29 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 110 |
| All NBA | 23 | 28 | 36 | 20 | 107 |
TheCharlotte Hornets (23-24) were defeated by the New York Knicks (21-27) as they lost their third consecutive game and fall under .500 for only the second time this season. Kemba Walker‘s game-high 31 points weren’t enough as his homecoming was ruined by late game struggles. Instead, Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis came away with a win as the Hornets continue their inconsistent play.
Charlotte was a bit shorthanded once again as they were without their starting center in Cody Zeller who missed his second straight game with a quad contusion. Jeremy Lamb dressed but didn’t play as he is still dealing with metatarsal inflammation. Both should return soon.
Turning Point
The Hornets held the lead for a majority of the second half but the Knicks played great down the stretch while Charlotte struggled mightily. New York trailed 99-93 with 4:47 left in the fourth quarter but they ended the game on a 17-8 run. The real turnaround happened with 1:38 left when ex-Hornet Courtney Lee made a three-point shot to put the Knicks up 102-101 then he stole the ball and found Brandon Jennings open for another three. That two-play stretch sealed the Hornets fate.
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The real turnaround happened with 1:38 left when ex-Hornet Courtney Lee made a three-point shot to put the Knicks up 102-101 then he stole the ball and found Brandon Jennings open for another three. That two-play stretch sealed the Hornets fate.
Who Stepped Up
Per usual, Kemba Walker led Charlotte with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Although, it did take him 29 shots to get those 31 points. Marvin Williams added 17 points while Marco Belinelli chipped in with 15 points off the bench. Nicolas Batum almost recorded a triple-double with 15 points, 11 boards, and nine assists in this one.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist finished with 12 points and six rebounds on the night.
The Knicks were led by Carmelo Anthony who pulled down a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds but he did not record an assist in 35 minutes of game action. Kristaps Porzingis equaled Melo with 18 points. Courtney Lee had somewhat of a revenge game against his former team as he scored 16 points. Brandon Jennings (15), Derrick Rose (13), and Kyle O’Quinn (10) rounded out the double-figure scorers.
Play of the Game:
Tweet of the Game:
"Quick Stings"
- Marvin made a career-high five three-point shots.
- Kemba recorded his 33rd 20+ point game on the season.
- Charlotte has now lost seven straight away from home.
- The Hornets committed 13 turnovers compared to only 10 for the Knicks.
- Steve Clifford’s side shot (40-90) 44.4% from the field and (13-37) 35.1% from three.
With the loss, the Hornets have now lost the season series to the Knicks, 1-2. Charlotte is now under .500 and had streaks of five straight losses, three straight wins, and now three consecutive losses. They haven’t found any sense of consistency as of late.
Next: Steve Clifford Demands More, and Rightfully So
In their next game, the Charlotte Hornets will return home to host DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings. It will be their first meeting this season as the two sides are only set to face off twice all year. The Hornets are desperately in need of a win as they are only 3-13 in 2017.