Charlotte Hornets fall to Kristaps Porzingis and the New York Knicks, 118-113

Despite having three players score 21 points, the Charlotte Hornets couldn’t get the job done against the Knicks in New York.

The Charlotte Hornets (5-6) were defeated by the New York Knicks (6-4) as Kemba Walker and company dropped yet another game away from home. They are now 1-5 on the road and have lost their last three outside of The Hive. Steve Clifford’s side had no answer for Kristaps Porzingis as he led NY to a comeback victory.

Although Dwight Howard was a game-time decision because of a right foot sprain, he played through the injury and it shouldn’t affect him too much going forward. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (personal matter) still hasn’t rejoined the team and it’s unclear when he will. Nicolas Batum (left elbow) and Julyan Stone (strained left hamstring) were both inactive while Michael Carter-Williams looks to be fully healed from his offseason knee procedure.

Game Story

The Hornets got out to a fast start as they scored 41 points in the first quarter (most in any quarter this season) and 69 points in the first half (most in any half this season). The second half was a different story as their once 15-point lead was erased. The Knicks ended up outscoring the Hornets 60-44 in the second half. Charlotte missed 10 of their final 11 shots in the fourth. Their defense wasn’t up to the task as New York shot 60% from the field.

More from Swarm and Sting

• Hornets: Where does Brandon Miller’s ceiling rank among other rookies?
• Charlotte Hornets grade out mostly average in position-by-position ranking
• Hornets News: P.J. Washington makes bold statement on Brandon Miller
• Grade the mock trade: Hornets snag Tyler Herro, flip Gordon Hayward
• Will the Charlotte Hornets be in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery?

Player of the Game

Despite dealing with a minor injury, Dwight Howard was arguably Charlotte’s best player in this one as he fell one rebound short of a double-double with 21 points and nine boards. The big man was tied for the most points on the team while shooting 9-11 from the field and 3-3 from the free throw line.  He also recorded one block and one steal.

Kemba Walker put up 21 points to go along with seven assists and five rebounds while Malik Monk added 21 points with five made three-pointers. Jeremy Lamb ended the game with 15 points, five rebounds and four assists. Michael Carter-Williams scored four points in 20 minutes of action.

The Knicks were led by Kristaps Porzingis who scored a game-high 28 points. Doug McDermott was big off of New York’s bench as he had 20 points. Tim Hardaway Jr. managed to score 19 points on the night.

Highlight of the Night:

Tweet of the Game:

"Quick Stings"

• Cody Zeller grabbed a career-high seven offensive rebounds.
• New York’s bench outscored Charlotte’s second unit 45-44.
• The Hornets won the rebound battle, 40-35.
• Monk became the only the second Hornets’ rookie to ever make more than five three’s in multiple games. (D.J. Augustin, 2008)
• This game featured five lead changes and four ties.

With the loss, Charlotte falls to 0-1 on the season against New York. The two sides will face off three more times this year with their next encounter coming on December 18th in the Queen City. The Hornets have now lost three straight games and four of their last five in Madison Square Garden.

Next: Jeremy Lamb has taken his game to the next level

In their next outing, the Hornets will take on Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics. This will be their first meeting so far this season and the last game of Charlotte’s current four-game road trip. Steve Clifford’s side will look to snap their three-game losing streak and end their road trip on a high note before returning home.