Game Thread: New York Knicks vs Charlotte Hornets 7:30pm 11/17/2015

The Charlotte Hornets have been outrebounded in five straight games.

No team exposed that weakness better than the New York Knicks did last week.

The Hornets managed to survive a big disparity on the boards to extend their win streak over the Knicks to four heading into Tuesday night's rematch at Madison Square Garden.

Charlotte (5-5) has seen its average rebound margin dip to minus-3.2 after being outrebounded by an average of 12.6 in a five-game stretch in which it is 3-2.

"We have to have everybody coming back to rebound," coach Steve Clifford said. "Everybody's gotta come back to rebound, so that way, it's our only chance. If you hit and block out, the other guys can't (rebound). We're just not doing that."

The Hornets overcame a 52-33 edge on the glass by the Knicks in last Wednesday's 95-93 home win. New York averages 15.5 second-chance points for one of the league's best marks, but was held to a season-low 10 that night.

Rookie Kristaps Porzingis had a season-high 15 rebounds in that contest, which will be remembered for his 3-pointer that was ruled to have come after the final buzzer. The Knicks stormed the court in celebration when he hit the shot.

Nicolas Batum scored a team-high 24 points in that game for Charlotte to start a three-game stretch in which he is averaging 28.3 on 57.4 percent shooting. He scored 33 - two off his career high - in Sunday's 106-94 home victory over Portland.

"Maybe," said Batum when asked whether this was his best career stretch. "My role is different right now and we're winning games. It's not like I'm playing great and we don't win."

The Frenchman had a huge effort in the wake of the attacks in Paris, and a countryman stepped up Sunday for the Knicks. Kevin Seraphin had 12 points in 14 minutes in a 95-87 win over New Orleans.

Seraphin is a little-used reserve who had not seen more than nine minutes of action for New York before he scored six points in nine minutes in the fourth quarter alone.

"He was ready," said Carmelo Anthony, who is averaging 26.6 points in his last five games. "He was a big part of our run that we made in the second half. To see him, and what he's dealing with emotionally and mentally, be prepared today when his number was called was big."

New York (5-6) is averaging 41.7 bench points for one of the league's best marks.

The Knicks limited Al Jefferson to four points on 2-of-10 shooting in the last meeting. That was part of a three-game stretch in which the Hornets big man totaled 19 points on 28.6 percent shooting before he scored 29 and made 13 of 17 shots versus the Trail Blazers.

"He's hard to guard 1-on-1, we know that," Hornets guard Jeremy Lin said. "Coach made it a priority in terms of talking about when and where to get him the ball."

Jeremy Lamb, averaging 13.3 points to rank among the league's best reserves, missed the Hornets' practice Monday with a shoulder injury.

Charlotte is seeking to win five straight over New York for the first time.

(nba.com)

Throwback unis tonight, haven't seen these since the old Marbury era when they used the blue ones

Lets see who Fish has finishing the game tonight. In Charlotte it was Zinger, Thomas, Melo, Gallo and Calderon. This Sunday against the Pels, Seraphin, Thomas, Melo, Gallo and Grant. Sundays group defended the perimeter well, the group in Charlotte allowed Zeller to go get a dunk off an inbounds pass with 1 second left. Tell me who should be closing out the game.

The more I see of Lance Thomas the more I like him, he's been very active defensively and his outside shooting is very much improved. Other guys haven't beaten him out of his job just yet.

Last Game vs Charlotte we loss by 2 pts .. 93-95
Jeremy Lin Torched us for 17 pts in 20 minutes on 65% FG shooting,
and Batum torched Afflalo for 24 pts on 60% FG shooting.

What players should be in the 4th quarter rotation in our 12th game of the season?
Should we play a 8 man rotation in the 4th quarter?
Should we play a 10 man rotation with the 1st unit for 6 minutes, then a 2nd unit for the remaining 6 minutes?
Or should we keep on experimenting throughout the game giving good players spot minutes in the rotation?

Here's my 9 man rotation for close-games in the 4th quarter early in the season ...
Lopez
Quinn
Serafin
Melo
Lance
Gallo
Grant
Calderon
And whatever player been HOT.

This starting lineup of Lopez, Porzingis, Melo, Afflalo, and Calderon at times looks great and completely in sync and at other times, looks completely out of sorts. I love the upside of this lineup though, so long as Galloway and Grant get to run wild with the second unit.

Did Porzingis just use the Dream Shake on Kaminsky to knock down that mid range jumper? Sure looked like it.

Afflalo, Melo, Porzingis, and Calderon all knocking down shots. Lethal shooting lineup for us. Only thing we have to avoid is too many shots coming from Lopez. Let him roam near the boards rather than run the offense through him.

Not even 10 seconds after checking into the game, Seraphin grabs an offensive board and then finds Porzingis for the back door two.

For a religious kid like Lin that's a weird haircut for someone like him.

htr10 said:

Not even 10 seconds after checking into the game, Seraphin grabs an offensive board and then finds Porzingis for the back door two.

Click to expand...

Nifty pass. You can see him taking more of Quinn's minutes and I said with Affalo back DWill is not going to get more than 20mins of burn.

Their 2nd unit is eviscerating our 2nd unit in the first 3 minutes of the 2nd quarter.

Time to replace Serafin with Quinn

Sasha and LT?? Go back to Afflalo!

12 guys have played for us tonight, but no minutes for O'Quinn. Fisher's answer to Lin driving at will against us, put Calderon on him. Don't get it.

Lin and Lamb was killing us .. im glad we change the lineup

KP's gotta have 10 boards already. His rebounding has been his biggest surprise in a good way.

They fell apart but why bring in Sasha to try to fix it.

There's obvious trims to the rotation he can make. LT and Amundson shouldn't be playing. They've each contributed but I'd argue we'd be better off giving those minutes to our better players. And sasha just now after AA had such an effective 1st qt?? WTF--go back to Arron!! good, here he comes

I would've stuck with Seraphin a little longer. Hope he comes back in soon.

Worst passing game for lopez so far in a Knick uniform. He's usually ok in that department.

Quiet games like this outta lopez is why I question giving him $50mm.