Game Thread: New York Knicks vs Charlotte Hornets 7:30pm 4/6/2016

Kemba Walker is taking the blame for the Charlotte Hornets staring at their longest losing streak in three months.

Slow starts and another possible absence from Nicolas Batum are bigger concerns.

With Batum's status unknown, Walker and the Hornets attempt to continue their success against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.

Charlotte (44-33) is making just its third playoff appearance in 12 seasons. The Hornets are sixth in the Eastern Conference, one game back of Boston and Miami, who are tied for fourth.

They're also three games ahead of seventh-place Indiana with five to play.

Charlotte, though, would like to avoid its first three-game skid since losing seven in a row from Dec. 30-Jan. 10. That could put the Hornets in danger of falling further in the conference standings, a prospect that's not very appealing after losing back-to-back games to the teams holding the top two seeds. The Hornets lost 96-90 at Toronto on Tuesday after falling 112-103 at East-leading Cleveland two days earlier.

Charlotte trailed by 10 points after the first quarter of both games, combining to shoot 32.5 percent from the floor and 3 for 15 from 3-point range.

"The other night against Cleveland and (Tuesday) we just started out really flat," Walker said. "We're not the type of team that can do that. We have to play well from the start.

"I really put it on myself. When we're really good, I'm the one that's setting the tempo. I haven't been doing that for my team lately."

Walker is having a career year with 21.0 points per game, but he only had 11 against the Raptors after scoring 29 versus the Cavaliers.

He's totaled 59 points on 58.8 percent from the floor - 6 of 12 from long range - over the last two visits to MSG. A Bronx native, Walker scored 26 in a 97-84 home win over the Knicks (31-47) on Jan. 23.

Batum missed that matchup with a toe sprain, and he could be sidelined again after a left knee injury forced him to miss one game. The guard is second on the team with 15.2 points per game, but he only had four in a 102-94 loss at New York on Nov. 17.

If Batum is out again, Jeremy Lin would get the nod for a second straight game after totaling 21 points and seven assists Tuesday. He's averaging 16.0 points in nine games against the Knicks after briefly starring for them in 2011-12, where the "Linsanity" craze began.

The Knicks have dropped four of their last five, averaging just 90.0 points in those defeats. They shot 34.4 percent from the floor and 7 for 25 from 3-point range in losing 92-87 to Indiana on Sunday. However, that performance came while resting Carmelo Anthony and without Kristaps Porzingis, who is sidelined with a sore right shoulder.

New York will have Anthony back.

"I'm good to go. I'll play the rest of this week," said Anthony, the team leader with 22.0 points per game.

Anthony was held to nine points on 4-for-11 shooting at Charlotte on Jan. 23 after averaging 33.8 over his previous five meetings. That stretch started with an MSG-record 62 points in a win Jan. 24, 2014.

With Porzingis out, the Knicks will likely have Derrick Williams starting at forward for the fourth straight game. He's averaging 14.3 points on 51.7 percent shooting over the last three games.

Williams led the Knicks with 19 points and 14 rebounds off the bench against the Hornets in January.

(nba.com)

Thanks for another great game thread, Rady.

4 games left and Melo plans on playing out the season. Not much point to it, but it's hard to criticize a guy for not taking an available easy, early end to the season.

Little reason to watch this team, unless you are rooting for us to close out at least 2 - 2 and avoid a 50 loss season.

Much like last season, it's hard to imagine these last few games really making a meaningful difference in any of our young guys' development.

Rady .. Big-Ups to u for another great informational (team-scout) Game thread

Im not thrilled about the low minute giving to Quinn and Serafin the last few games.
Some team is going to grab Serafin n Quinn from Phill in offseason, to give both a 26 minute winning role as a PF to have success next season .. i could see the future

D.Will 3 ball to end the first half was a nice play for a SF wing

Maybe no sadder realization than watching Grant, despite his superior athleticism, be just as inept as Calderon at defending the point of attack from the opposing PG. Kemba Walker is destroying him.

On the flip side, I like Grant's fearlessness on offense. He will definitely improve on offense if given significant playing time next season. Not sure how to gauge if he ever will be starter quality though.

Just read that Sam Hinkie has stepped down as GM of the 76ers. Thus ends one of the most disastrous experiments in the history of sports.

Hell of a quote from Ewing just posted during the 3rd quarter. Ewing saying that he let himself be traded because he got tired of hearing teammates say that they would be better off without him. He wishes he had never let the trade happen and instead finished his career with the Knicks.

htr10 said:

Thanks for another great game thread, Rady.

4 games left and Melo plans on playing out the season. Not much point to it, but it's hard to criticize a guy for not taking an available easy, early end to the season.

Little reason to watch this team, unless you are rooting for us to close out at least 2 - 2 and avoid a 50 loss season.

Much like last season, it's hard to imagine these last few games really making a meaningful difference in any of our young guys' development.

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I dont understand coach Phil Jackson letting Melo play .. we suppose to be looking for keepers n non-keeper by looking for chemistry in our 10 man rotation having our young players receive equal minute as our veterans Rolo/D.Will/Sasha/Afflalo ....
Throwing ISO-Melo in the rotation messes up the balance of the 9 players in the rotation ..
I have to say worse than last year .. last year we only had one real keeper in Gallo .. this season we have several Keepers

Grant 3 ball !!!!!!

I think we are definitely seeing the last of Derrick Williams in a Knicks jersey these last 4 games of this season. He has 17 points and 10 boards up through the 3rd quarter tonight, posting another good start. No way he accepts a 4.5 million player option rather than testing free agency.

htr10 said:

Hell of a quote from Ewing just posted during the 3rd quarter. Ewing saying that he let himself be traded because he got tired of hearing teammates say that they would be better off without him. He wishes he had never let the trade happen and instead finished his career with the Knicks.

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I threw away my Ewing Jersey when Ewing kept demanding to be traded 2 month after (WE) Knicks made the FINALS.
Ewing disgusted me after that move, especially weeks after we just resigned coach JVG

Robin Lopez has had enough. Gets back to back technicals and gets ejected. Knicks down 12 with 3 minutes to go, but our defense completely unable to stop Kemba Walker or Al Jefferson.

Starting to look like TOR will be getting a top 6 pick on us. They must be happy.

htr10 said:

I think we are definitely seeing the last of Derrick Williams in a Knicks jersey these last 4 games of this season. He has 17 points and 10 boards up through the 3rd quarter tonight, posting another good start. No way he accepts a 4.5 million player option rather than testing free agency.

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I must admit D.Will has been show-casing above his pay grade all season .... i see D.Will testing the big-money FA market in thr offseason

Knicks on a 9 - 0 run to get the lead down to 7 with 90 seconds to go.

mafra said:

Starting to look like TOR will be getting a top 6 pick on us. They must be happy.

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50 win teams don't get too excited about the draft I imagine. Unlikely they will get anybody who will even break their rotation in year 1. If anything, they could move the pick, but still, it's only sad sack franchises like ourselves, Philly, Minny, etc. who expect to change the course of their franchise with a 19-year-old.

Oh wait, and also, doesn't Denver get the right to swap before Toronto gets our pick? So, wouldn't Denver get the best pick?

htr10 said:

50 win teams don't get too excited about the draft I imagine. Unlikely they will get anybody who will even break their rotation in year 1. If anything, they could move the pick, but still, it's only sad sack franchises like ourselves, Philly, Minny, etc. who expect to change the course of their franchise with a 19-year-old.

Oh wait, and also, doesn't Denver get the right to swap before Toronto gets our pick? So, wouldn't Denver get the best pick?

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Yes. They have right to swap... If their record isn't worse than ours (but they only have a 1 game lead now).

htr10 said:

I think we are definitely seeing the last of Derrick Williams in a Knicks jersey these last 4 games of this season. He has 17 points and 10 boards up through the 3rd quarter tonight, posting another good start. No way he accepts a 4.5 million player option rather than testing free agency.

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That's one thing I mentioned about AA and DWills contracts that 1 yr contracts don't allow you enough time to build a team esp if they're rotation players.

I think 3 year deals with team options for yr 3 are better. Phil may have to reload and replace AA DWill Sasha CleEarly LT Seraphin Gallo Amundsen along with getting a few impact players for next season. Phil may not have a draft pick but he's got a lot of work ahead of him hiring a new coach and replacing players in the merry go round called the Knicks.

Thanks to everyone for their input in the game thread.

I don't see anyone giving AA a multi- I still see him as a knick come nov... pity as he SUCKS...

The Hornets committed 8 turn-overs for the game, we had 18 for the game, our confuse starter-lineup committed 11 turn-over
In the offseason Phil Jackson has to add one or two leadership players to next season starter lineup.
We would have had a better chance at beating the Hornets with a starter lineup of Grant/Gallo/D.Will/Quinn/and Rolo

Kiyaman said:

The Hornets committed 8 turn-overs for the game, we had 18 for the game, our confuse starter-lineup committed 11 turn-over
In the offseason Phil Jackson has to add one or two leadership players to next season starter lineup.
We would have had a better chance at beating the Hornets with a starter lineup of Grant/Gallo/D.Will/Quinn/and Rolo

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I get what you're saying, but we're 0 - 9 without Melo playing and Vujacic went 4 for 5 from 3 scoring 16 points on 9 shots. Vujacic also continues to be far and away the hardest working player on the court game after game. Not sure how replacing Melo and Vujacic with Gallo and O'Quinn would have changed the result last night.

We have no answers on our roster right now, regardless of who starts and how the rotation is adjusted. We are a bad team. We return more or less this same roster and return Rambis as the head coach for next season, we might as well start thinking about a lottery pick in October.

htr10 said:

I get what you're saying, but we're 0 - 9 without Melo playing and Vujacic went 4 for 5 from 3 scoring 16 points on 9 shots. Vujacic also continues to be far and away the hardest working player on the court game after game. Not sure how replacing Melo and Vujacic with Gallo and O'Quinn would have changed the result last night.

We have no answers on our roster right now, regardless of who starts and how the rotation is adjusted. We are a bad team. We return more or less this same roster and return Rambis as the head coach for next season, we might as well start thinking about a lottery pick in October.

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Sasha AA and Serafin coming off the bench would have given us a spark .. Melo stops us from running fast breaks