New York Knicks Have a Ball vs. LaMelo Ball, Swat Charlotte Hornets
The three-point field goals earned by the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon earned a far more positive reception than those tallied at MetLife Stadium.
New York put on a scoring showcase in the finale of a three-game homestand, exterminating the Charlotte Hornets to the tune of a 129-107 swatting.
To complete the sweep and extend their first winning streak of the year, the Knicks (5-4) sank 15 three-pointers. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley led the way with four each and the former led New York with 24 points. En route to moving over .500 for the first time this season, the Knicks also set a season-high with 129 points and a success rate of 54 percent from the field.
RJ Barrett (9) earns an easy two on Sunday against Charlotte
Wendell Cruz, USA TODAY SPORTS
Sunday's hosts dealt with a narrow first quarter but Quickley's buzzer-beating triple at the end more or less permanently placed momentum in the Knicks' corner: a 19-7 run in the middle of the second period gave them an eternal double-figure lead, one that was further fortified by scoring the first seven points of the third period after Charlotte whittled it to 10 by the halftime horn.
The Knicks' headlining triumvirate of Barrett (24), Julius Randle (23), and Jalen Brunson (20) all earned a double-decalogue for the second consecutive game. Randle not only reached 20 for the third time in a row but did so on his most efficient shooting night of the season (8-of-16, with a season-low four three-point attempts).
In relief, Quickley had 17 off the bench and also dished out a season-best nine assists. After the win, New York will embark on a five-game road trip that takes them into the Thanksgiving holiday.
Sunday's game was the first of three meetings between the Knicks and Hornets (3-6) this month, with a rematch slated for Saturday in Charlotte. The Hornets' sole silver lining was LaMelo Ball, who led all scorers with 32. Already struggling to keep pace in the top-heavy Eastern Conference without leading scorer Terry Rozier, Charlotte also lost Brandon Miller to an ankle injury in the second quarter. The second overall pick in last year's draft had 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting prior to his medically-induced departure.
There's no rest for the Knicks, who immediately return to action on Monday night in Boston (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/NBA TV).
