Hornets.com postgame: Knicks 102, Hornets 80
By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com, @Jim_Eichenhofer
Knicks (8-1), Hornets (3-6)
It was over when… New York’s Steve Novak swished a three-pointer from the left wing, giving the Knicks an 85-64 lead with just over 11 minutes remaining in regulation. New York has been red-hot from the perimeter early in 2012-13, a major reason behind its excellent start to the regular season. That continued Tuesday, with the visitors going 14-for-36 on three-pointers. The Hornets enjoyed a torrid stretch from long distance of their own in the second quarter, but couldn’t keep up with the New York barrage.
Hornets MVP: With New Orleans second-leading scorer Anthony Davis sidelined (stress reaction in left ankle), the onus is on Ryan Anderson even more to increase his offensive production. He’s already been shouldering a heavy load, both scoring-wise and on the backboards. Anderson was aggressive from the outset of Tuesday’s game, shooting whenever he was given the tiniest crack by the New York defense. Anderson finished with 15 points in 31 minutes of playing time.
Hornets Sixth Man of the Game: After a discouraging opening quarter for New Orleans, Brian Roberts helped ignite a surge that got the Hornets back in the hunt by halftime. The Dayton product connected on three consecutive three-pointers, accounting for all of his nine points in the period. The Hornets outscored the Knicks 31-24 in the second quarter, pulling to within 53-48. Roberts finished with 13 points, including 3-for-4 accuracy from the three-point arc.
The buzz on… the imminent four-game road trip to face Indiana, Phoenix, Denver and the Los Angeles Clippers. With Davis’ status uncertain, the Hornets headed to Indianapolis tonight for a Wednesday road game against the Pacers. On paper, this six-day road trek looked extremely difficult before the regular season began, but Indiana (5-7) and Denver (5-6) have been two of the most disappointing teams in the league in November. Phoenix (4-7) has played at about the level most expected, while the Clippers (8-2) are rolling to their best start in years, if not ever. “It’s an opportunity for us to regroup,” said Williams, whose team will try to end a four-game losing streak. “We’re facing a big team tomorrow, with David West, Hibbert and Paul George. We’ve got to be ready to defend and rebound. I think right now we have too much respect for our opponents. We’re playing against some really good teams. I have to convince our team that we can compete with anybody. That was one thing I thought we had last year: No matter what lineup we had, (even if it was) eight guys, they competed for 48 minutes. It’s hard to get young guys to understand that’s how you have to play.”