By Sam Perley, hornets.com
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Result
A return to his hometown was just what Kemba Walker needed to snap out of his recent slump as he led the way for the Hornets in a decisive 111-97 victory over the Knicks on Wednesday, April 6, in New York City. Never one to shy away from the spotlight of Madison Square Garden, Walker poured in a game-high 34 points, which included a career-best seven three-pointers, to help Charlotte finish off its three-game road trip with a much-needed win. Derrick Williams led six Knicks players in double figures with a team-high 17 points in the loss.
Turning Points
Charlotte took control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring the Knicks, 28-20, to turn a one-point halftime lead into a 81-72 advantage by the start of the fourth. Kemba Walker and Frank Kaminsky carried the Hornets in the frame with a combined 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting (63.6 percent), which included knocking down 4-of-7 shots from three-point range (57.1 percent). Charlotte would open the fourth quarter on a 13-4 run to stretch its lead to 94-76 with 6:33 remaining in the game, which ultimately proved to be too much of a deficit for the Knicks to overcome as the Hornets notched their sixth win in seven attempts against New York.
Inside the Box Score
Kemba Walker tallied a game-high 34 points, five rebounds, two assists and a team-high-tying two steals for Charlotte… Al Jefferson notched 24 points on 11-of-21 shooting and a team-high eight rebounds in 29 minutes off the bench… Frank Kaminsky made the third start of his NBA career, finishing with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists… Marvin Williams also scored in double figures with 13 points to go along with three rebounds, two assists and a team-high-tying two steals… Courtney Lee chipped in four points, five rebounds and a team-high six assists… Derrick Williams led the Knicks in both scoring (17 points) and rebounding (10)… Sasha Vujacic tallied 16 points, four rebounds and two assists… Carmelo Anthony notched 15 points, six rebounds and a game-high seven assists… Jerian Grant (14 points), Arron Afflalo (11 points) and Langston Galloway (10 points) also posted double-digit scoring performances for New York… Charlotte had just eight total turnovers while the Knicks finished with 18… New York won the rebounding battle, 43-38… The Hornets outscored the Knicks in the paint, 44-38, and in second-chance points, 17-9.
Hornets Player of the Game
Kemba Walker exploded for a game-high 34 points on 11-of-18 shooting (career-best 7-of-10 from three-point range), five rebounds, two assists and a team-high-tying two steals in the Charlotte victory. Walker has now recorded 13 games this season with 30-or-more points, which is currently the third-highest total of any player in the Eastern Conference.
Knicks Player of the Game
Derrick Williams put together an impressive outing for the hometown Knicks with a team-high 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting and a game-high 10 rebounds in the loss. This is the fourth double-double of the season for Williams, two of which have now come against Charlotte.
Game Notes
The Hornets moved their record to 45-33 on the season, which is now the franchise’s highest single-season win total since the NBA returned to Charlotte in 2004… Nicolas Batum missed his second-straight game for the Hornets (knee)… Kristaps Porzingis (shoulder), Lance Thomas (knee) and Jose Calderon (quad) were sidelined for the Knicks… Robin Lopez was ejected in the fourth quarter for multiple technical fouls… Charlotte won the season series against the Knicks, 3-1, for the second-consecutive season.
Next Up
The Hornets return home to take on the Brooklyn Nets at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 8 in Charlotte. This game can be seen on FOX Sports Southeast or heard on WFNZ or on the official Charlotte Hornets mobile app.