The Knicks continue a recent stretch of great play with another win in this road trip, this time winning their second matchup of the season against the Charlotte Hornets. With a balanced attack led by red-hot guard Jalen Brunson, the Knicks were able to power past the Hornets, as the Knicks got to a season-high three games above .500 and won their six games in their last seven contests. Following a sluggish start for this offense, New York scored over 115 points in a game for the fifth time in their last six contests.
Coming off of a dominant win in Washington last night, New York came out strong in the first quarter and set the tone for an amazing showing from three.
A Recipe For Success Starts to Brew for the Knicks
New York once again relied on incredible rebounding and shooting to get the win, as the Knicks shot 16-37 (43.2%) from three and outrebounded the Hornets 47-36, as the Knicks had another dominant scoring night. Leading the charge was Jalen Brunson, who gave the Knicks 32 points on the evening on 21 shots, shooting 57.1% from the field and hitting four of his eight attempts from three. Despite taking the most shots on the team, he also led the Knicks in assists (8).
In his previous five games leading up to tonight’s masterclass, the 27-year-old point guard had averaged 25.4 points per game, shooting 45.7% from the field and a staggering 56.4% from beyond the arc. He’s been a dominant scorer ever since getting off to a slow start, and the Knicks are more than glad to have him back online. This scoring tear on the night was complemented by a brilliant showing from first-year Knick Donte DiVincenzo, who put up 25 points on just 12 shots, going 70% from beyond the arc on his 10 attempts.
He’s been marvelous for the offense in place of Quentin Grimes, who was injured earlier this week in the Knicks’ win over the Atlanta Hawks. DiVincenzo got out to a slow start on the season, but coming off of a strong performance against Washington has gained popularity with the fanbase and has certainly opened some eyes in the Knicks’ organization as well. Julius Randle would also add 21 points on his own on 47% from the field, his seventh-straight game with over 20 points.
In his last four games, he’s averaging 24.8 points per game on 46.8% shooting, and while the three-point shot has remained inconsistent, he’s rounding back into form. He also would add on seven assists and six rebounds, and overall was a +9 on the court. The Knicks’ leading rebounder on the night was Mitchell Robinson (shocker) who brought down 14 boards on the night. 11 of those were offensive rebounds, and the Knicks are simply loving his presence on the court.
His ability to clean up on the glass is why New York has a 116.8 Offensive Rating with him on the floor, and even without being much of a scoring threat, Mitch has been one of the best players on this team. Isaiah Hartenstein wasn’t a slouch either as he added seven boards of his own, and the Knicks got some big buckets from their bench as Josh Hart added seven points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals and Miles McBride even added five points in his nine minutes of play.
Immanuel Quickley had a quiet scoring night with nine points on 11 shots, but still added five rebounds. RJ Barrett would make his return to the lineup, and although his 5-15 (33%) shooting night was unremarkable, he had some huge buckets down the stretch to put the Hornets away. Overall, it’s another incredible win for New York, who once again take care of business and bury a team they should beat.
The Knicks look to end this road trip in a Monday night matchup at Minnesota, as they’ll try to make it a season-high four in a row, as they’ve secured a winning record on this five-game road trip.