Porzingis made his first five shots, mostly on right-side jumpers, and nearly had a double-double by halftime (10 points, nine rebounds).
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Instead, the bench unit led by Nicolas Batum, Marvin Williams, Jeremy Lin, Jeremy Lamb, and Cody Zeller closed out the game and got the win for the team.
The win moved the Hornets (4-4) to the.
BOSTON – For the second time in eight nights, Paul George was just a bit too much for Boston to handle.
It’s also helped that the Knicks have taken care of the ball with 19 total turnovers in the consecutive wins after averaging 16.2 over the previous five contests, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement.
Rookie Kristaps Porzingis nearly outdid himself Wednesday night, nearly becoming a last-second hero.
Nicolas Batum led the Hornets with a season-high 24 points and Jeremy Lin chipped in with 17 as Charlotte reached. Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points and Lance Thomas added 17 points for the Knicks.
Afflalo finished the game with 12 points and 6 rebounds, with ups and downs in his regular season debut.
The Knicks fell to 4-5 despite Anthony’s 29-point explosion and the return of Arron Afflalo, who provided a spark but not a victory. Lamb tallied 14 points, four assists, and four rebounds on 6 of 10 shooting from the floor along with a couple of three pointers. The second unit brought all kinds of aggression, energy, and intensity into the game and were the main reason why the Hornets won this one.
As a team, NY shot 48.8 percent from the field despite going 0-for-11 from 3 in the first half and 4-for-21 for the game. However, against the Knicks, Charlotte was outrebounded 52-33. But there is a saving grace; the Hornets don’t play a road game from November 18 through December 4. They have already had success against the Bulls before this season with a 130-105 thumping of Chicago just a little over a week ago. Afflalo is most likely still feeling the ill-affects of his hamstring injury, as he looked a lot less effective and aggressive after resting on the bench.
The Knicks have no one to blame but themselves tonight though, as they were unable to get the necessary stops or baskets when it mattered most, while the Hornets were able to do that.
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Hence, the Knicks suffered a heartbreaking 95-93 loss.
