Game Preview

The Charlotte Hornets (6-15) are staying in the Big Apple on Wednesday for an Eastern Conference showdown against the New York Knicks (13-7). The Knicks took the first matchup of the season last week in a decisive 129-101 victory. 

The Hornets enter the matchup looking to build off two wins in their last three games, though most recently falling to the Nets 116-103 on Monday. Kon Knueppel led the team in scoring with 18 points as one of six Hornets to hit double-figures.

Despite ranking bottom-five in the league in both field goal percentage and three-point shooting percentage in November, the Hornets actually topped the league in free throw shooting percentage at 85.4%. Finding more opportunities at the line may be a good focus, as the team ranked only 16th in free throws attempted per game over the same span.

The Knicks enter the matchup on the heels of a 4-game win streak snapped by way of a 123-117 loss to the Celtics. Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for 64 points in the loss, while Jalen Brunson chipped in 15 points and 11 assists.

The Knicks finished second in the league in offensive rating in November with 122.8 points per 100 possessions. A top-10 defensive rating also led to the team being third in net rating over the same period.

A comfort with the home court may play a role in the Knicks successes this season, as the team is an impressive 10-1 at Madison Square Garden this season. Conversely, the Hornets are just 1-9 on the road this season, meaning a win tonight against one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference would be quite the upset.

Key Matchup – The Battle of the Boards

Few teams hit the boards with as much success as these teams, with the Hornets and Knicks ranking third and fourth in the league respectively in rebound percentage.

Moussa Diabate is a major driver for the Hornets rebounding success, particularly on the offensive end. Amongst players logging at least 15 minutes per game, Diabate ranks sixth league-wide by securing 15.4% of all available offensive rebounds.

He’ll have his work cut out for him though, as Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns ranks fifth in the league by grabbing 26.3% of all available defensive rebounds with the same minutes requirement.

Furthermore, Mitchell Robinson is one of the few players out-performing Diabate on the offensive glass, ranking first in the aforementioned metric by pulling down an absurd 23.1% of all available offensive rebounds.

With the Hornets recent shooting woes, having players beyond Diabate like rookie center Ryan Kalkbrenner or veteran forward Miles Bridges step up on the glass will be paramount to keeping this game competitive.

INJURY REPORT

Hornets: OUT Josh Green (Shoulder), Grant Williams (Knee), Pat Connaughton (Calf), Tre Mann (Ankle), Brandon Miller (Shoulder); QUESTIONABLE LaMelo Ball (Wrist)

Knicks: OUT – Landry Shamet (Shoulder), OG Anunoby (Hamstring);  QUESTIONABLE Kevin McCullar Jr. (Groin)

Projected Starting Lineups

Position

Charlotte Hornets

New York Knicks

Point Guard

LaMelo Ball

Jalen Brunson

Shooting Guard

Sion James

Miles McBride

Small Forward

Kon Knueppel

Mikal Bridges

Power Forward

Miles Bridges

Karl-Anthony Town

Center

Ryan Kalkbrenner

Josh Hart

– MORE STORIES FROM CHARLOTTE HORNETS ON SI –

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Zach Lowe believes LaMelo Ball doesn’t want a trade but has one question

Turnovers doom the Charlotte Hornets in disappointing loss to the Brooklyn Nets

What can Charlotte Hornets fans expect from Tidjane Salaün’s return from Greensboro?