The 2024-25 season has seen the Charlotte Hornets experience more lows than highs. At 18-51, they are on the way to another sub-.300 winning record, the only silver lining of which is that it will help the franchise secure a top pick in the loaded 2025 draft.
Some fans are hoping that the Hornets will continue racking up more losses than dubs to increase their odds of winning the draft lottery. However, for only the second time this season, they notched four wins during a seven-game stretch after defeating the New York Knicks on Thursday.
The victory also marked the first time Charlotte prevailed in a matchup against an Eastern Conference with a winning percentage above .600. Perhaps what was more impressive was how Buzz City triumphed. It dominated the battle of the boards to complete a 115-98 drubbing of the Knicks.
Josh Hart didn't take kindly to the "embarrassing" loss
New York is in a funk right now, suffering from two consecutive beatdowns at the hands of lottery-bound teams. It lost to the San Antonio Spurs 120-105 on Wednesday and had probably hoped to bounce back against an opponent it had already conquered twice earlier in the regular season. However, Charlotte had a different idea and put on a show for the Spectrum Center crowd.
The Knicks locker room appeared to be dejected following the contest. Josh Hart issued a lengthy diatribe, questioning his squad's "mental toughness" amid an "embarrassing" string of losses.
Josh Hart: "Mental toughness. That's my big concern right now. We can make all the excuses in the world. There's highs & lows in the season, no one's 82-0, but the way we're losing games is embarrassing. We have to find a way to right the ship. We gotta come out next game w more… pic.twitter.com/iGu1vF8mGA
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 21, 2025
The good news for the club is that it remains on track to clinch the No. 3 seed in the East behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics despite having gone 3-6 in its last nine meetings.
Still, losing to one of the conference's cellar-dwellers has to be an eye-opener for New York, even if Jalen Brunson was in street clothes. The Hornets appeared to have a higher sense of urgency on Thursday, and Hart was right to call out his teammates, especially with the playoffs a little less than a month away.
As for Charlotte, it was certainly an inspiring win and may have even helped the top brass determine which among the players should have a spot on the roster beyond the 2025 offseason.
It remains to be seen if Buzz City can continue playing the spoiler to teams fighting for higher seeds for the postseason. Among the opponents that are still vying for favorable positions in the playoffs or the play-in tournament that the Hornets are set to face are the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls, and Memphis Grizzlies.