North Charlotte Today

The Charlotte Hornets' streak of close losses ended on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, but their losing streak continued. A challenging third quarter led to a 125-101 defeat against the New York Knicks.

Brandon Miller was a standout for the Hornets, scoring 16 of his 26 points in the first quarter and extending his streak of 20-point games to nine. Vasilije Micić achieved his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 assists, while Seth Curry contributed a season-high 18 points.

For the Knicks, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27 points with 16 rebounds, OG Anunoby added 25 points, and Jalen Brunson contributed 24 points. The Knicks' starting lineup accounted for most of their total points, each player shooting over 45% from the field.

The game turned when the Hornets lost their early lead after halftime. The Knicks dominated the third quarter with a score of 38-16, largely due to successful three-point shots and transition plays. This quarter marked Charlotte's largest point differential this season since March.

Despite an early lead against Philadelphia earlier in the week, Charlotte could not maintain momentum. They started strong against New York but faltered after halftime.

Charlotte's struggles near the basket have been evident without their top centers. However, Mark Williams and Nick Richards helped improve field-goal success in restricted areas during the first half.

An injury to Tidjane Salaün two minutes into the game further complicated matters for Charlotte. With no true power forwards available, smaller lineups were forced to face New York's effective offense.

Hornets Head Coach Charles Lee commented on the performance: “I thought the third quarter was a barrage of 3-pointers, a barrage of transition offense by the Knicks… When they (New York) went on that 10-0 run, or maybe 12-2 run to start the second, it felt like Brunson just got away from us."

Looking ahead, Charlotte will host Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday at Spectrum Center. The Cavaliers recently defeated Denver at home and have won four out of five past meetings with Charlotte.