Subscribe
Follow Us
The Charlotte Hornets' five winning streak was snapped by the New York Knicks on Wednesday night 121-106. Things just never came together for Hornets after they gave up 40 points in the first quarter, which isn't exactly a formula for any team to win a game. To make matters worse, the Hornets were struggling to hit wide open shots in the first half. The Knicks pretty much held a double digit lead a majority of the night and the Hornets could never get back into it. Here's why:
Massive Hornets-Knicks shooting disparity
The Knicks 40-point onslaught made the lead insurmountable. To throw some salt in the wound, they made 14 first half three-pointers, which tied their franchise record for three's in a half. That is 42 points from behind the arc before the break, which is ridiculous. The Knicks only made six more three's after that, but they still shot 44 percent from deep. Meanwhile, the Hornets shot an abysmal 28 percent from deep. Oh yeah, the bad shooting doesn't stop there either. They were 9/17 form the free throw line. It was just a rough all around for the Hornets.
The second unit
During their five-game winning streak, the Hornets' bench has came up huge in every game. Guys like Montrezl Harrell, Isaiah Thomas, and Cody Martin would come in and make a difference. On Wednesday night, no major impact was really felt by that second group. The bench only scored 24 points today and they need probably 10-15 more to stay competitive in games. Plus, Kelly Oubre Jr. played a season-low five minutes today. Oubre has been one of the more consistent bench threats all season long, so that's a little alarming to see.
Not locked in
The Hornets didn't look like they were ready to play from the tip. In the winning streak, they have gotten off to great starts. In two of the games, they assisted on their first seven made baskets. The ball movement looked like flawless, unforced, and led to them building big leads. They finished the game with 26 assists, which isn't bad, but it could've been better. Even though they did dig themselves into a hole in the first half, they usually find a way to make it a game at the end. That just wasn't the case vs. New York.
On a brighter note, LaMelo Ball did pour in 32 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Ball did everything he could to try and bring his team back in it, but it was all in vain. Fortunately for the Hornets, the Atlanta Hawks fell to the Detroit Pistons, so they still have the ninth seed in their grasp. The Hornets have to pick up the slack on Friday night vs. the Utah Jazz. They will have a chance to redeem themselves after the lackluster showing vs. the Knicks.
