The Charlotte Hornets are now three full days removed from their outing in Paris and are back in action tonight with heavy hearts to welcome the New York Knicks for a 7 PM EST tipoff at Spectrum Center.
In the midst of a season-long eight-game losing streak, the mood was somber at Monday’s practice back in Charlotte following the sudden death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant. As expected, players and coaches were still coming to terms with the loss of a figure who was so influential and adored through the sporting community.
“It’s affected anybody and everybody, whether you’re a basketball player or not,” said Assistant Head Coach Jay Triano, who led the workout while James Borrego dealt with an illness. “A tragic accident like this is something that resonates with a lot of people, especially with the NBA family. We spoke with our players before practice and let them express themselves. It’s a tough day to deal with a very tough situation. Our guys fought through it today.”
Looking back, Charlotte beat the Knicks, 103-102, at Madison Square Garden, largely in part to Devonte’ Graham’s 29 points (9-of-16 from three) and game-winning triple with 2.8 seconds remaining. PJ Washington added 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting against a Knicks team led by fellow rookie RJ Barrett (22 points) and reserve Mitchell Robinson (17 points and 12 rebounds).
The Knicks have lost 10 of 13, ranking 27th in offensive rating (106.2), and 24th in defensive rating (114.6) during this stretch. Marcus Morris Sr. (career-high 19.2 PPG) is leading the team in scoring this season, Julius Randle (18.9 PPG and 9.3 RPG) is nearing a nightly double-double and amongst NBA players with at least 35 games off the bench, Robinson (9.5 PPG), is fourth in rebounding (6.5), first in blocks (1.7) and third in second-chance points (3.1).
Most of New York’s offensive damage comes closer to the basket as the team currently sits last in the league in three-point field goals per game (10.1) and per CleaningtheGlass.com, eighth in percentage of shots at the rim (36.5%) and fifth in percentage of shots between 14 feet and the arc (15.0%). Look for the Hornets to clog the paint and be physical with a big Knicks team throughout the duration of tonight’s contest.
Game Notes: RJ Barrett (right ankle sprain) is out for New York. He currently ranks third amongst all rookie scorers (14.1 PPG)… The Hornets have won four of their last five games against the Knicks (lone loss: 126-124 in overtime on Dec. 14, 2018.