00:00This is Stefan Bondi reporting from Charlotte, North Carolina, where I just witnessed the Hornets beat the Knicks in pretty
00:07convincing fashion.
00:09This was a game defined by the pace in which the Hornets played, the physicality in which the Hornets played.
00:15And I think that really, you know, caught the Knicks by surprise.
00:19The way Josh Hart explained it was the Hornets played like they were shot out of a cannon.
00:24And by the time the Knicks adjusted and realized the physicality and the pace in which they have to play,
00:29it was too late.
00:30So this game was defined by three things. One is the pace. The other is rebounding.
00:35The Knicks were rebounded, out-rebounded, I think, 44 to 24, something like that.
00:42Whatever the number is, it was too much.
00:45And the third reason was the pick-and-roll defense from the Knicks just wasn't good.
00:49And if you're a Knicks fan, yeah, you can complain that you didn't get a good whistle on a lot
00:54of those screens.
00:54But the Knicks still didn't have the type of physicality to do what they needed to do against a team
01:01that really came out motivated.
01:02This was a big game for the Hornets.
01:05Knicks fans infiltrate this arena every single time.
01:08The Knicks are in the building.
01:10You know they took it personally.
01:11And for the first time since I've been covering the Knicks, the Hornets fans kind of overpowered the Knicks fans
01:19by the end of this one just because the Hornets were playing so well.
01:22And the Hornets fans felt good about where their team's at, and they have every right to.
01:26I think that was another takeaway for me is how much different this Hornets team looks than the last time
01:32the Knicks saw them, which was way back in early December.
01:34This is a Hornets team that's found a sharpshooter in their rookie, Con Canuple, who I believe is the Rookie
01:41of the Year over Cooper Flagg.
01:44And it looks like LaMelo Ball has bought into what he needs to be doing.
01:47They have shooters all over the place.
01:48They have speed and youth that they exposed as their advantage over the Knicks.
01:56So, listen, it was a tough game, and it doesn't get easier for the Knicks.
02:02Next up is OKC.
02:06In Oklahoma City against the defending champs, it doesn't get any harder than that.
02:09And then after that, it's Ash Houston, Kevin Durant, another big game there.
02:14So, you know, a couple of other interesting developments.
02:18One is that Carl Anthony Towns was benched again for the second straight game down the stretch.
02:24He didn't close.
02:25This time, you know, last game against the Pelicans, Knicks decided to go small.
02:29That worked out.
02:30They won that game in this game.
02:32Mike Brown opted to play more of Mitchell Robinson down the stretch, and they made a brief comeback, but it
02:38was too little, too late.
02:42Anyway, and, you know, that's about it.
02:45Really a rough defensive performance, a rough game on the glass for the Knicks, and, you know, like I said,
02:54it doesn't get easier in OKC, but if they're able to pull out that victory against the defending champs, then
03:00all of what just happened is forgotten.
03:03So, Knicks still need one more victory to clinch a playoff spot.
03:07He could have done it tonight.
03:09Didn't happen.
03:10They'll get another shot in OKC.
Comments