Knicks survive OT thriller, defeat Hornets 118-109

Julius Randle recorded his sixth triple-double of the season, logging 33 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds as the Knicks survived the Charlotte Hornets, defeating them 118-109 in overtime.

Reggie Bullock scored 17 shooting 5-9 from behind the arc and Nerlens Noel delivered 8 buckets, 11 boards and 5 blocks.

The Knicks led for the better part of the game. They had 18 points ahead in the second quarter and 17 in the third but a late comeback by the Hornets almost nullified Knicks’ lead.

Miles Bridges, who scored a team high 30 points delivered 16 of them in the third quarter, propelling the Hornets back in the game.

The final act was very shaky with the Hornets taking the lead for the first time following a 7-0 run to give the Knicks a run for their money. Randle & co needed several minutes to recover but were unable to finish them in regular time.

In overtime, however, it was all Knicks. Randle made a couple of free throws, then fed everybody on the court. With 40 seconds to play the Knicks were already up by 12.

For us the big thing is take care of home court, take care of the game that we have at hand. If we take care of the little things, the big thing will take care of itself. But I think it is important for everyone to understand the business, who’s in it, how every game impacts something. So I want them studying the league as well.

– Tom Thibodeau

Derrick Rose scored 15 off the bench, Alec Burks dropped 14 points and Immanuel Quickley finished with 13 and a game-high plus- of 18.

In the other game that interests us, the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Miami Heat 122-108 and now all Knicks have to do is beat Boston in the afternoon to secure the 4th seed and take on the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.

Up-next:

The Knicks (40-31) will host the Celtics today at 1:00 pm (36-35) in the final game of the regular season. A win will guarantee them home court advantage in the first round. A loss might drop them down to 6th place.