The New York Knicks claimed their fourth consecutive home win Wednesday night, beating the Charlotte Hornets 119-104 at Madison Square Garden. While Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson led the scoring charge, one of the biggest surprises of the night was second-year center Ariel Hukporti being named Defensive Player of the Game by head coach Mike Brown.
Hukporti’s stat line was unconventional: 0 points, 2 offensive rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers, 6 personal fouls, and a +6 plus-minus in 13 minutes.
“I don't know if I've ever done this before, but our Defensive Player of the Game was Ariel Hukporti,” Brown said after the game. “He had 0 defensive rebounds, and he fouled out. But his impact was huge. Couple blocks, 50-50 balls, he went vertical couple times and changed shots in the paint, so I am happy for him, and this is a guy who hadn't played much in a while. He logged a lot of minutes for us in his case, 12 minutes or a little over 12 minutes, but he was our Defensive Player of the Game.”
Mike Brown: "I don't know if I've ever done this before but our Defensive Player of the Game was Ariel Hukporti. He had 0 defensive rebounds & he fouled out. But his impact was huge. Couple blocks, 50-50 balls, went vertical couple times & changed shots…Hadn't played much" pic.twitter.com/KVvWvUtz1a
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 4, 2025
Although Hukporti earned praise for his defensive effort, it was Towns that carried the offensive load, taking charge of both the paint and perimeter with 35 points on 13-of-23 shooting, 18 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and only one turnover in 39 minutes. It was his 16th double-double of the season and his seventh 30-10-5 performance with New York.
Meanwhile, Brunson added 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting, providing a steady presence when Charlotte threatened to close the gap. Josh Hart flirted with a triple-double, contributing 17 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, while Miles McBride scored 15 points and posted a +18 plus-minus, continuing his recent hot shooting from deep. Mikal Bridges also contributed 16 points with impactful defensive plays.
The Knicks came out strong and quickly took control of the game. In the first quarter, New York limited the Hornets to just 12 points on 5-of-20 shooting, forcing six turnovers, while the Knicks hit only one of nine three-point attempts. Towns scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the opening period, accounting for more than half his output from the previous matchup in Charlotte. By the end of the first quarter, New York led 27-12, holding the Hornets to three fouls while committing none themselves.
The second quarter, however, exposed cracks in the Knicks' early game performance. A 14-3 run from Charlotte trimmed New York’s lead from 20 points down to just three, 50-47, forcing a timeout. The Hornets' LaMelo Ball, who finished with 34 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, kept his team within reach. Amid defensive lapses, a buzzer-beating shot by Brunson sent the Knicks to halftime ahead 53-47.
New York regained control in the second half. By midway through the third quarter, the Knicks led 90-75, thanks to contributions from Towns, Brunson, Bridges, and Hukporti, who blocked two shots. In the fourth quarter, the Knicks extended the lead to a game-high 22, ensuring victory despite a late burst from Ball and Tidjane Salaun.
New York will continue their three-game homestand on Friday night against the Utah Jazz.
