The Charlotte Hornets suffered an overtime defeat at the hands of the New York Knicks in a matchup at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
Gordon Hayward led the way for Charlotte with 21 points, while Jalen Brunson led New York with 27 points.
What went right for the Charlotte Hornets?
Balanced scoring effort
The Hornets got offensive contributions from several sources, with seven players scoring at least 13 points on the night. The backcourt trio of Dennis Smith Jr., Théo Maledon, and James Bouknight combined for 42 points and made a case for minutes even when LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, and Cody Martin return to the lineup. Kelly Oubre, P.J. Washington, and Jalen McDaniels all had 17 points as well.
Bench Unit continues to perform well
The Hornets’ bench totaled 54 points for the game and now has scored 179 points on the season, good for the fifth-most in the league. Charlotte is getting 93.6 minutes per game from its bench, which is the 12th-most in the league. The Hornets’ bench unit has been overachieving compared to their minutes, as they currently rank fifth in points per game, seventh in rebounds per game, ninth in assists per game, third in blocks per game, first in field goal percentage, first in three-point percentage, and fourth in free throw percentage amongst NBA bench units.
What went wrong for the Charlotte Hornets?
Free throw shooting woes continue
The Hornets went just 20/30 from the free throw line, attempting eight more free throws than the Knicks but outscoring the home team by just one point from the charity stripe. For the season, Charlotte is 22nd in the league with a team free throw percentage of just 74.2%. In a game that went to overtime and was ultimately decided by three points, Charlotte’s failure to capitalize from the free throw line stands out as a missed opportunity.
Overtime woes continue
The Hornets have now lost 10 straight overtime games in a streak that now spans parts of three different seasons. Charlotte’s last overtime win came on February 1st, 2021, against the Miami Heat. The Hornets infamously went 0-7 in overtime games last season, tying the NBA record for the most overtime losses in one season.
What is next for the Charlotte Hornets?
Friday, October 28th – at Orlando Magic (7:00 p.m. ET)