Game Thread: New York Knicks vs Charlotte Hornets 5/15/2021 1:00 pm [Game #71]

When the New York Knicks clinched a long-awaited playoff berth Wednesday night, the Charlotte Hornets were left with the longest postseason drought in the Eastern Conference.

Yet, the Hornets, trying to maintain their No. 8 seeding in the East, can improve their chances of ending that drought Saturday afternoon when they visit the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Both teams were off Friday after playing at home Thursday, when the Knicks overcame a 17-point third-quarter deficit to edge the San Antonio Spurs 102-98 and the Hornets fell to the Los Angeles Clippers 113-90.

The loss was the third straight for the Hornets (33-37), who have lost most of their margin for error in the race for favorable seeding in the Eastern Conference's play-in tournament.

The Hornets are tied for eighth place in the East with the Indiana Pacers, over whom they own the tiebreaker via a 2-1 head-to-head record. Charlotte cannot rise higher than eighth since it is two games behind the Boston Celtics (35-35) and would lose the tiebreaker since the Celtics won two of their three meetings this season.

The Hornets and Pacers are a game ahead of the 10th-place Washington Wizards (32-38). Charlotte would win a tiebreaker with the Wizards by virtue of a 2-1 record in head-to-head play.

The seventh- and eighth-place teams in each conference need to win just one game in next week's play-in tournament to advance to the playoffs while the ninth- and 10th-place teams need to win twice.

If the Hornets are to maintain their seeding, they will have to do so with an undermanned roster. While forward Miles Bridges is expected to return Saturday after missing the last five games due to health and safety protocols, small forward Gordon Hayward isn't expected to play for Charlotte unless it can get to the playoffs. Hayward hasn't played since suffering a right foot sprain on Apr. 2.

"We're in good spirits," Hornets center Bismack Biyombo said. "We understand who we are and what we need to do."

So do the sixth-place Knicks (39-31), who clinched their first playoff berth since 2013 on Wednesday night without even playing. Boston's 102-94 loss to Cleveland ensured New York a top-six finish.

"We all talked (Wednesday) night," Knicks forward Julius Randle said. "We all FaceTimed and talked. We enjoyed the moment. But we're moving on. We can bask at the end of the season."

Like the Hornets, the Knicks' seeding situation remains fluid. New York is a half-game behind the Atlanta Hawks (40-31) and tied with the Miami Heat (39-31).

The Knicks would win the tiebreaker with the Hawks by virtue of a 3-0 head-to-head record but would lose a tiebreaker with the Heat, against whom they went 0-3. The difference between fourth and sixth is vast, as the sixth-place finisher would draw one of the three Eastern Conference favorites -- the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets or Milwaukee Bucks -- in the first round.

Randle acknowledged Thursday the Knicks are checking out the scoreboard to see how everyone else in the East is faring.

"Do you want the honest answer?" Randle said. "For sure. People who say they're not watching are lying. I was watching."

--Field Level Media

(STATS / cbssports.com)

Thanks, Rady.

1st priority is win today. 2nd priority is also beat Celtics. 3rd priority is hope Heat lose 1.

Good start for the Knicks knocking down their 3s and getting an early lead.

This is a big game for Charlotte trying to decide seeding in the play-in. 8th vs 9th seed is the difference between having to win 2 out of 2 vs two chances to win 1 game.

Bullock 4-4 from downtown. Knicks 6-8 from downtown, CHA is 2-8.

EP with 2 silly and-1 fouls awards CHA 7 points in 2 possessions. Horn sounds, in come Rose.

RJ fouled 3 consecutive times in the paint... no call. Ref does blow whistle and Tees up RJ, for daring to complain about lack of respect.

Knicks looking good but can?t give this CHA team hope. Win and put pressure on MIA tonight.

Knicks lead by 9 after 1 quarter. Great start for Randle. Already a good chunk of the way to a triple double.

Taj is nothing special on offense, but you get him the ball at point blank range and he?ll go up and under for the score. Good start to the 2nd.

Obi passes up a wide open 3, to penetrate and find Gibson for a better shot under the hoop. He?s creating. Maybe I underestimated our coaches and his will to improve.

Back to back 3s by Quickley and Toppin and lead is up to 18. Got to just go for it and show some killer instinct. This game should not come down to the wire if we keep playing like this.

63-54 at the half. Randle sinks a 3 with 2 seconds left. NY had an 18 point lead tho...

For the third time, NYK foul a 3-point shooter. Terrible.

Randle with an awful cross court pass leads to breakaway dunk. CHa have made 10 of last 11 shots. Just like what happened in the SA game....

18 point lead now down to 89-86. Awful we allowed this team to score almost 90 points in 3 quarters.

Quarter ends with another turnover.

Now this is anybody?s game in the 4th, and we now have to battle and play the starters, which means they?ll be that much more tired when BOS arrives for back2back.

NYK have never trailed in this game yet. We beat BOS and DET twice wire to wire.... 89-88 now tho.

91-89 CHa. Kiss the 4 seed goodbye people. Hornets playing with much more energy and will.

Graham and Ball and Rozier won?t let CHa lose. Terrible effort in the third Q.

101-99 CHA. Bullock and IQ miss WIDE open 3s. RB hasn?t hit a 3 since starting 4-4.... Knicks now 13-31 from downtown, after starting 6-8.... Meanwhile, since start of 3rd Q, we can?t stop Hornets. They are cutting and moving without ball and getting dunk after dunk.

This is some chokejob, but still, only 2 point game.

Randle gives us back the lead with a 3.

Have to add that refs kept CHA in game... 22 to 13 FT disparity. Any contact was a foul on us, while they got to take free shots when we drove to paint. Not called evenly, in that regard.

Back to back buckets for Randle!

104-101 NY. Randle misses jumper, RB late getting back. His legs dead. CHA ball after the TO.