Late Buzz Gives Knicks Black Friday Win Over Charlotte

The Thanksgiving tryptophan wore off just in time for the New York Knicks.

New York got off to an alarmingly slow start in a Black Friday matinee against the reeling Charlotte Hornets but recovered well enough to secure a 99-98 win in front of a mostly pro-Knick crowd at Spectrum Center.

Breaking through amidst a sloppy slugfest, one that saw the Knicks fall behind by as much as 10, was Jalen Brunson, who tallied 31 points in the win on 8-of-16 from the field. Josh Hart (13 points, 12 rebounds) and Karl-Anthony Towns (19 points, 12 rebounds) had double-doubles while Miles McBride put in 14 and five boards in relief. All that and more also helped New York overcome a season-worst 21 turnovers.

The Knicks (11-8, 3-0) not only secured a winning record on a five-game road trip, tied for the longest this season, but also remained perfect in NBA Cup group play. A potential winner-take-all meeting for East Group A’s advancement spot is set for Tuesday against the Orlando Magic.

Facing a Hornets group with several major names out (not least of which was top scorer LaMelo Ball), the Knicks once again fizzled in the first and faced a 23-15 deficit, tying the cellar mark for fewest points in a season that was all-too-recently set in Wednesday’s loss in Dallas. New York recovered well enough to take a brief lead toward the end of the half but Josh Green’s four points in the final 1.1 seconds (the latter earned when he intercepted a Mikal Bridges inbounds pass) gave Charlotte the intermission advantage.

The Knicks finally return home on Sunday evening when they face the New Orleans Pelicans (6 p.m. ET, MSG).

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