Tonight at the Spectrum Center, the New York Knicks (11-6) routed the Charlotte Hornets (4-14) behind swarming defense, relentless rim pressure, and sizzling shooting. Josh Hart and Miles McBride impressed,
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns controlled the halfcourt, and Mitchell Robinson (playing with the second unit) dominated the paint. Charlotte bricked threes, coughed up turnovers, and showed few signs of life while the differential stretched to 28. Final score: Knicks 129, Hornets 101.
This NBA Cup game concludes a 3-2 road trip for the Knicks. They shot a season-low 26 threes, but they made 50% of them. Josh Hart takes the game ball, with a near triple-double (a season-high 22 points, eight boards, seven assists, +20). Jalen Brunson (33 points, 14-of-28 FG) heard chants of MVP at the foul line. Mikal Bridges added an efficient 18 points, plus three more steals and two blocks, while Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in 19 points and 10 rebounds. Miles McBride was a major contributor with 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting (hitting all five of his three-point attempts) and a game-best +27. Off the bench, Mitchell Robinson was a +18, Jordan Clarkson supplied eight points in 14 minutes, and rookie Tyler Kolek delivered another solid performance, recording a +15 in his 15 minutes.
We were interested in seeing Charlotte’s sharp-shooting rookie Kon Kneuppel, but he missed all seven of his three-point attempts. His teammate’s were equally unimpressive. All five starters finished with double-digit plus-minus negatives, and the team shot just 41% from the field and 30% from three. Brandon Miller (18) and Miles Bridges (17) led their scorers.
First Half
The Knicks opened flat, giving up a pair of early threes and an alley-oop as Charlotte punched first and controlled the glass. After a bit of floundering, Hart and McBride jolted the team awake: Hart jumped a passing lane for a pick-six, Duece drilled back-to-back jumpers, and a string of stops flipped an 8–2 deficit into a lead.
Charlotte hung around behind Tre Mann and Collin Sexton, but the Knicks’ starters doubled down. Towns scored inside, Brunson scored from his spots, and Mitchell Robinson (from the bench) vacuumed up in the paint. By the final minute, the offense was humming, and New York closed the period on a 7–2 run. A defensive stand set up Bridges’ buzzer layup, giving the Knicks a 37–31 advantage.
To start the second frame, Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson subbed for Brunson and Bridges, and the Knicks quickly stretched the lead to 14 against a haphazard Hornets team. Midway through the quarter, Coach Mike Brown tried a Kolek-Brunson backcourt. The pairing might be too small against stronger opposition, but tonight it let Jalen work off-ball and gave Kolek a chance to show off his ballhandling skills. Plays like this (and don’t miss Mikal’s ridiculous effort) are like manna from the basketball gods.
Charlotte played with more energy, but their offense never stabilized. They shot just 44% from the field and 27% from deep, produced zero fast-break points, and couldn’t match New York’s rim pressure. They squeezed out 11 points off turnovers and swatted down three shots, but the Knicks’ overall efficiency and physicality troubled them at every turn.
New York delivered a near-perfect first half, with all five starters in double figures and posting double-digit plus/minuses. Our heroes shot a blistering 64% from the field, nearly 60% from three, and a perfect 10-for-10 at the line. Josh Hart topped the scoresheet with 19 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, and, in an excellent showing, McBride was a major swing piece with 10 points on perfect shooting and a team-best +23.
The Knicks crushed Charlotte on the glass 24–12, piled up 16 assists to just five turnovers, and overwhelmed the Hornets in the paint 38–24. Even the short-rotation bench contributed solid minutes, especially Robinson anchoring the interior. Charlotte, meanwhile, shot 44%, bricked threes, generated no transition offense, and got little from their starters, all of whom posted negative plus/minuses.
Second Half
The party continued in the third quarter, with New York pushing their lead to 25, thanks to steady buckets from Jalen Brunson, who carved up the defense with floaters, pull-ups, and a step-back from deep. New York forced turnovers from Knueppel and Mann, dominated the glass, and received more timely shooting from McBride and Bridges. Charlotte tried to stay afloat with free throws and the occasional alley-oop, but their halfcourt offense repeatedly stalled against the faintest pressure.
Down the stretch, Hart grabbed extra possessions, Kolek continued to swing the ball cleanly, and the Bridges–KAT connections kept Charlotte scrambling. McBride’s deep three and Bridges’ rim attack helped seal a lopsided frame, while repeated Hornets misses counteracted any hope for momentum. Despite a turnover at the horn, the Knicks ended the quarter in command, up 98–75 heading into the fourth.
Both teams rotated in fresh lineups to start the final frame. Charlotte tried to get something going behind Miller and Ball, but New York countered with solid defense—especially Robinson, a man among children forced turnovers and stifled a Miller floater. Scoring-wise, New York didn’t let up. Clarkson provided a floater, a steal, and a midrange finish, while KAT scored off a Kolek feed to keep the Knicks ahead. The Hornets chipped a bit at the margin, but also piled up bad passes, offensive fouls, and missed shots.
The Knicks lead reached 28 and, with three minutes left, this game was over long before the final bell.
Up Next
The Knicks return home to host the Bucks on Friday. Happy Thanksgiving, Knickerbockers.
