Charlotte Hornets return home to take on the New York Knicks

After going 1-2 on a three-game road stint, the Charlotte Hornets head back to the Queen City to finish up their season series against the New York Knicks.

We’re halfway through the 2018-2019 NBA season and the Charlotte Hornets (23-25) are still in the playoff hunt. They’re three wins better than the previous year at this point, so they’ve definitely improved and the fans feel that with the right front office moves, the team could see success in the postseason.

Things aren’t all rosy, however, as the team is just two games ahead of the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons for the final playoff spot and with the status of three-time All-Star Kemba Walker in question, the next few games will prove to be pivotal.

One of those key games is a home contest against the New York Knicks (10-37). They’ve already played two games against New York, splitting those games, with one going into overtime. With a win, this will be the first time the Hornets have won the season series against the Knicks since the 2015-2016 season.

Charlotte’s last game was a 99-108 road loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. As mentioned before, they are clinging on to the 8th and final spot in the East. New York’s last outing was a 97-106 loss to the Miami Heat. They are 14th in the East. This is the final game against the Knicks for the Hornets.

Charlotte Hornets vs New York Knicks
7:00 p.m. EST, Monday, January 28th, 2019
Spectrum Center
Fox Sports Southeast

Injury Report:

CHA:

Cody Zeller – Hand (Out)

Kemba Walker – Neck (Probable)

NYK:

Emmanuel Mudiay – Shoulder (Out)

Luke Kornet – Ankle (Out)

Kristaps Porzingis – Knee (Out)

Things to watch for:

I know Hornets fans are all anxious to see if Kemba Walker can play in this game. Even though he’s listed as probable to play, It’s best not to rush him back if it risks further injury, but if he can go, they’ll need him given Charlotte’s precarious situation in the standings.

If he can’t play, one would assume Tony Parker would get the start with Devonte’ Graham seeing increased minutes. This is the second game in a back-to-back for the Knicks, so fatigue might be an issue for them.

Keys to the game:

Avoid giving up cheap fouls.

In their last game against the Knicks, Charlotte allowed New York to shoot 31 free throws. They made 20 of them, but that was 12 more than what Charlotte made from the line. That’s uncharacteristic for a team that ranks 4th in the league in terms of fouls given up. That’s a large reason why the Knicks were able to inch ahead in overtime. If Kemba can’t go, someone else needs to step up in his place.

Hopefully, Jeremy Lamb or one of the other guards can shine in Kemba’s place if he’s unable to play.

With January coming to a close, it’s officially crunch time in the NBA. Right now, the Hornets are still in the playoff mix, but they need to string some wins together to further cement their place in the standings. Could that start with a win over the hapless Knicks? We’ll find out Monday night in Charlotte.