The New York Knicks had their most efficient game of the season as they wrap up a five-game road trip
The New York Knicks managed to secure a dominant win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night, finishing out their five-game road trip with a 3-2 record, and increasing their NBA cup record to 3-0.
On a night where the Knicks were simply in the groove of their offense, everyone in a white uniform caught fire, including a great showing from Jalen Brunson. The Knicks captain would finish with 33 points on 50% field-goal shooting, drawing key fouls early on and knocking down shots from beyond the arc.
Scoring and Adoring
Mikal Bridges had his best showing this season, logging 18 points on an efficient 8-11 field-goal shooting, including a reverse alley-oop layup given to him by Tyler Kolek. Bridges would go towards his stepback mid-range, which found him success throughout the night. Josh Hart would also have his best game of the season, scoring a season-high 22 points with four made three-pointers.
Although the bench was limited in scoring, the Knicks found slight production from both Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kolek, combining for 15 points, three assists, and one steal. Kolek would see another night with increased minutes, hinting that he’s earned the trust of head coach Mike Brown.
Tale of the Tape
The Knicks were simply hitting on every aspect of the game, forcing a Hornets team that had been on a five-game losing streak into a panic early on. Forcing their opponents to just 16 second-quarter points, the Knicks logged 12 steals and four blocks, all while drawing key fouls during the contest.
New York ran away with the game before halftime, never truly allowing Charlotte to put up a fair fight.
Having come back from a one-game absence, LaMelo Ball would struggle from the field, shooting 4-14 and 2-7 from three. The Knicks also did a great job of limiting Kon Knueppel’s offensive production, one that has been quite difficult to stop thus far, as he scored just six points on 2-12 shooting across 30 minutes.
New York would prove once again how it’ve been able to adjust without the presence of both Landry Shamet and OG Anunoby. The defense came up big, while the offensive production was there. New York would manage to score nearly half of their total points in the paint, all while attempting their lowest number of three-point shots.
These are games the Knicks need to win, at least to give themselves a fair shot among the rest of a very hot Eastern Conference. They’ll head back home to MSG on Friday, where they’ll try to get a win over the Milwaukee Bucks.