In a result that anybody with a rational-thinking brain could have seen coming, the Charlotte Hornets got smoked by the New York Knicks at the Spectrum Center, which all-too-often felt like Madison Square Garden south, on Wednesday night.
Before the Knicks lead ballooned to an insurmountable 23 points late in the second quarter, the Hornets actually were playing some good basketball.
In his pregame media availability, Charles Lee pointed to both Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball’s three-point shooting as a key to getting off to a fast start, and Charlotte’s pair of cornerstones both canned a long-range attempt early in the contest.
Charlotte has their preferred starting five available tonight for only the fourth time this season.
Asked Charles Lee pregame what he wants to see from them tonight:
– Set the tone with physicality
– Pick and roll coverages against NYK creators
– LaMelo/Brandon’s 3pt shooting pic.twitter.com/Z6U7DOkrVV
— Matt Alquiza (@malquiza8) November 26, 2025
Although Miller struggled at times in his second game back from a month-long absence, he looked like himself for the majority of his 28 minutes.
Brandon was able to slice through the Knicks defense as a ball handler, pinning the Knicks defenders to his hip before getting up shots for himself or creating looks for his teammates. His long-range marksmanship returned as well, as he finished four of nine from three-point range.
Apart from Miller’s flashes of brilliance, there wasn’t much for the Hornets to write home about in this one.
They were futile in their attempt to slow down a Knicks offense that got whatever it wanted whenever they wanted it.
New York’s primary offensive game plan was to involve LaMelo in screening actions, attacking the veteran point guard at the point of attack with relentless vigor. Ball had trouble navigating the actions, and when he did, he struggled to contain both Jalen Brunson and Deuce McBride when they got downhill.
Overall, Ball’s season-long struggles continued. Whether it’s his ankle injuries hampering him, the trade rumors distracting him, or an inability to fit into Charles Lee and company’s new offensive scheme, LaMelo Ball is simply a shell of himself. He continues to empty the clip, attempting the most shots on the team, but they’re not falling.
Something has to change.
Of note: Kon Knueppel finished the night 0-7 from three, making tonight’s game the first one of his career that ended without a long-range make from the impressive rookie.
Best of the night: Sion James’ underrated impact
His box score stats don’t show it, but I could make an argument that Sion was Charlotte’s best overall player tonight. He continued to be a pest on defense, making life difficult for Brunson when tasked with guarding the All-NBA point guard. He disrupted a number of Knicks fast breaks with elite anticipation and timing with his hands, leveraging his physical attributes and IQ to slow down New York’s explosive offensive attack.
He’ll never be the best player on an NBA team, but he’s destined for an important role on a good team at some point in his career, and he remains a bright spot in another lifeless season in Charlotte.
Worst of the night: LaMelo Ball
As stated above, Ball couldn’t get anything going against the Knicks. To compound his struggles on offense, he was firmly in the crosshairs of Mike Brown’s offensive attack when Charlotte played defense, and he had nothing for the Knicks array of weapons.
Stat of the night: New York outscored Charlotte 35-16 in the second quarter
Charlotte’s struggles normally start after halftime, but they got an early start tonight.
Non-competitive defense and poor process on offense led to Charlotte getting ran out of the gym in the second period. The Hornets’ best offense in the second quarter involved Tre Mann bailing his teammates out at the end of the shot clock, but you can’t build the entire plane out of that.
The Hornets can’t seem to string together four competitive quarters no matter who they’re playing, and those struggled only get compounded against elite opponents like the New York Knicks.
– TRENDING STORIES FROM HORNETS ON SI –
Sion James is ahead of schedule, impacting winning basketball with the Charlotte Hornets
How long can the Hornets evaluate this core before making big decisions?
Why the Hornets should finally move on from Miles Bridges
Kon Knueppel discusses end of Hornets-Hawks, his jumper, and Charlotte’s mental game