When the New York Knicks tip off for their regular season finale with the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday evening, they're going to be severely undermanned. Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, and Tyler Kolek will all be out for New York. 

None of the Hornets' major rotation players are expected to miss this one. With the Knicks locked into the third seed in the Eastern Conference for the playoffs, all signs are pointing to New York effectively conceding this one to Charlotte, preferring to rest their best players ahead of the first round of the playoffs next weekend. 

It should be noted that Mikal Bridges is not on the injury report. He's set to play at least 82 games for the fifth consecutive season, and he'll continue his wildly impressive career-long streak of never having missed a game. 

Brunson wraps up what's been another strong season, finishing at 26.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game. He's one of the best clutch performers in the NBA and will give the Knicks a shot at winning a championship. There's no reason to risk anything in a meaningless regular season finale.

Karl-Anthony Towns ends the year at 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, continuing to be the reliable double-double machine New York hoped for when they traded for him. He's been a steadying force in the post all season, and now his consistency in the postseason could make or break this team. 

Hart finishes at 11.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game, numbers that honestly undersell how important his two-way energy has been all year. He's the kind of player who makes everything around him work, and the Knicks are clearly a better team when he's engaged on both ends.

Anunoby's availability for the start of the playoffs is the one genuine concern coming out of this game. He just suffered a left ankle injury against the Raptors. He's averaged about 15 points per game this season while being one of the better perimeter defenders in the league, so his health matters a lot for New York's playoff ceiling.

With that group sitting, New York will cobble together a lineup from further down its bench. Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson will certainly see extended run in the backcourt, and it obviously won't look anything like the Knicks' standard nightly rotation. 

As for Charlotte, they'll take the win however it comes. The Hornets have had a strong season, though New York has won two of the three contests against them thus far in 2025-26. The Hornets will look to secure the nine seed against the Knicks' skeleton squad on Sunday.