Brandon Miller shines in a brutal loss to the New York Knicks

The Charlotte Hornets and Brandon Miller lost to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden with a final score of 125 to 101. Charlotte started hot, scoring 32 points in the first quarter, with half of those coming from Brandon Miller. But, a disastrous third quarter slowed down the Hornets too far to come back, which gave them another shortcoming on the season. This loss extends their slide to a seven-game losing streak as health plagues the roster and Charlotte deals with another team shooting exceptionally from beyond the arc.

Jalen Brunson was an early problem for Charlotte’s defense, finishing with 24 points and 5 assists as he consistently broke down the Hornets’ defensive schemes in his 27 minutes. Karl Anthony-Towns finished as the real MVP of the game for New York with 27 points and 16 rebounds.

Brandon Miller, as expected, shined for the purple and teal, delivering 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists with a hot start that had him looking like a potential superstar. Vasilije Micić continued to thrive in the starting lineup, adding 14 points and 12 assists in another solid outing. Seth Curry also contributed, putting up 18 points and 3 rebounds in tonight’s loss.

Mark Williams had a strong showing in his limited time against the Knicks, putting up 6 points and 5 rebounds in 11 minutes. It’s an encouraging sign for the 7-foot big man as he works his way back into game shape. Williams looked confident going after rebounds and showed no hesitation working in the post. Performances like this show how important he can be as he gets back to full strength and gets more comfortable after a nearly year-long absence.

Injuries continue to define the Hornets’ season, and tonight was no different. Rookie starter Tidjane Salaün exited the game after just two minutes with a left sprained ankle. Salaün had recently started to find his rhythm, making this setback even more frustrating for a Charlotte team that can’t seem to catch a break. The Hornets’ roster remains far from full strength, and the constant injuries are making it increasingly difficult to build any consistency.

Tonight, the Knicks shot 54.5% from three, well above the league average of 35.9%. Opponents are currently shooting 37.8% against the Hornets this season. Teams seem to get hot from deep, and the Hornets struggle to cool them down, leading to games slipping away as the season progresses.

Brandon Miller took the inbound from KJ Simpson with Mikal Bridges in his face. Despite the tight defense, Miller hit a long, contested fadeaway at the buzzer to end the third quarter. It was a tough shot in a tough game for the Hornets.

Charlotte’s next game is at home against Kenny Atkinson and the Cleveland Cavaliers, set for 1 PM EST on Saturday (12/7).

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