Hornets vs. Knicks Recap: The good, the bad and the LaMelo Ball
The Hornets started fast, absorbed a run from the Knicks in the middle quarters and finished strong to earn a 109-88 victory on Monday.
Charlotte opened the game with the first 10 points, held New York to one field goal in the opening 6:05 and led by 17 in the first period. However, the Knicks closed the first on an 11-0 run as part of a larger 24-6 run that helped them take a 38-37 lead in the second period.
Charlotte, though, closed the half strong to lead by seven, then pushed the lead to double digits in the third and fourth quarter to win going away on the night.
Hayward finished with a game-high 34 points while Devonte’ Graham had 19 and P.J. Washington and Miles Bridges had 13 apiece. For the Knicks, Kevin Knox had 19 off the bench.
The Good: Gordon Hayward's first half
Hayward set another career-best scoring mark on Monday. His 28 first-half points were the most in any half of his career, eclipsing the 25 points he scored in the second half against Atlanta last week. Behind Hayward, the Hornets jumped out to a huge lead in the first quarter, scoring the first 10 points and leading by 17 points total. While the Knicks closed the opening period with 11 unanswered, Hayward was dominant throughout. Hayward slowed in the second half but still finished with 34 points on the night, going 11-for-17 from the field, 2-of-2 on 3-pointers and 10-of-10 from the line. Honorable mentions: Devonte' Graham
The Bad: Rebounds
An old problem reared its ugly head on Monday as the Hornets were pounded on the glass. The Knicks won the rebounding battle 58 to 44 and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds to Charlotte's four. LaMelo Ball was the Hornet's top rebounder, accounting for nearly one-third of the team's rebounds with 14. Fortunately for Charlotte, the Knicks shot just 39% from the field and 24% from three and were unable to punish the Hornets with second-chance points. Honorable mentions: Defense on Julius Randle
The LaMelo Ball: Rough shooting, strong rebounding
As mentioned above, Ball led the team in rebounding with 14 rebounds, helping make up for a rather poor performance shooting on the night. Ball finished shooting just 3-for-13 from the field and 2-for-6 from 3-point range to finish with eight points. He did add seven assists, three steals and a block in 30 minutes of work. Unlike his opening game of the season, Ball was able to make an impact on the game despite having a poor shooting night. On Monday, he contributed on the boards and still set up teammates.
