The Charlotte Hornets have been mightily dominant when they're on the winning side, and this trend continued on Thursday night as they made mincemeat of the New York Knicks, a team that was on a seven-game winning streak, in a 114-103 win. The game wasn't as close as the final score line would indicate, as the Hornets outworked, outhustled, and outshot the Knicks.

It's the Knicks that have this distinction of being a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference. But the Hornets made it look as though they were the team in the top-three of the East standings. Since the turn of the calendar, the Hornets have posted the third-best record in the NBA at 28-12 — rubbing elbows with the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and Boston Celtics.

Now, a bad start to the season means that the Hornets are still in ninth place in the East standings after their hot streak. This puts their playoff life in jeopardy, as one loss in the play-in tournament would mean their elimination as things stand. But Kon Knueppel, who's changed the Hornets' fortunes drastically, is backing his team every single time.

“We want to play in big-time games. This is a big-time game. The rest of these games for us are big-time, playoff-like games. They determine our seeding, and we want to give ourselves the best chance we can for the playoffs,” Knueppel told FanDuel Sports Network in his postgame interview.

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There is no stopping the Hornets when they're on a roll

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) moves the ball against New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) during the first quarter at the Spectrum Center.
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Hornets' starting five is one of the most well-rounded in the league, and when they're clicking, they're one of the most unstoppable units in the NBA. LaMelo Ball has unlimited range. Knueppel is so dynamic for a rookie. Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges are steady hands, while Moussa Diabate's hustle is relentless.

Their bench also provides so much energy and spacing, and they're going to be a tough out at the very least — for any team in the top half of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.