The road’s been unkind to the Charlotte Hornets this season; they’ve only won one game away from home in eleven tries.

Wednesday night was the latest defeat on foreign soil for the Bugs, as they fell 119-104 to the New York Knicks. But the game was not without positive takeaways for Charlotte. Here are three.

3 positives for Hornets from Knicks lossShowtime LaMelo

LaMelo Ball tonight: pic.twitter.com/v72IeS9839

— Kyle Ingram (@SnapshotKyle) December 4, 2025

The showman in LaMelo Ball awakened under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. Melo finished with 34 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. He was 12-of-27 from the field and 5-of-13 from three.

Melo looked “effortless,” in the words of Knicks broadcaster Mike Breen, who commented multiple times on the obvious talent of the youngest Ball brother.

This game was a reminder of LaMelo’s astounding offensive talent. He delighted fans with one-footed jumpers, crafty drives, and his usual fluid ball-handling and passing.

Encouraging bench production from Tidjane Salaun, Liam McNeeley

Tidjane Salaun 13 Points, 4 Rebs, 3 Threes full highlight vs Knicks I 25-26 NBA Season pic.twitter.com/gyldHP0r7m

— Hoops Showtime (@HoopsShowtime12) December 4, 2025

Tidjane Salaun and Liam McNeeley are two young wings for Charlotte that haven’t produced with any consistency this season; Salaun’s been honing his craft in the G League, while McNeeley hasn’t received regular minutes until more recently.

Wednesday night was a tremendous game for both players’ confidence (and for the Hornets’ future). Salaun finished with 13 points and four boards in 23 minutes on an efficient 5-of-8 from the field and 3-of-5 from three.

McNeeley’s 21 minutes produced 10 points, three rebounds and an assist on 3-of-8 from the field and 2-of-5 from distance.

Man, if these two can come along, the Hornets will have completely aced the past two NBA drafts. Kon Knueppel, Sion James, and Ryan Kalkbrenner have already proven to be excellent picks.

The Hornets showed competitive fight

A third positive from this game for Charlotte was the grit the Hornets showed in never giving up against a superior opponent.

The final score wasn’t a clear indication of Charlotte’s effort on Wednesday night. After a rough first quarter (27-12 in favor of the Knicks), the Hornets battled back in the second quarter, winning the frame 35-26 and making it a six-point game at halftime.

New York won the third, extending its lead to 15, but the Hornets remained competitive in the fourth quarter and played hard for 48 minutes, tying the final period 29-29.

Furthermore, Charlotte wasn’t outworked on the glass (44-44 tie in team rebounding), and the Hornets tallied one more block than the Knicks, showing their defensive effort down low.

When you’re a rebuilding team like Charlotte, a game against a contender like the Knicks can’t be measured in its performance by the final score. Were you competitive? Did you belong out there? Both of these questions were answered with a resounding ‘yes’ for the Hornets at MSG, and Charles Lee should be happy with that.

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