Charlotte Hornets (44-38) beat New York Knicks (54-29) 110-96 on the road on Sunday, April 12, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Hornets struck first, taking the opening quarter 30-20 and a 10-point lead after one. The Hornets kept the pressure on with a 27-24 second quarter, carrying a 13-point lead into halftime.
The Hornets won the third 30-29 to create some separation, taking a 14-point lead into the fourth. The teams matched each other with 23 points apiece in the fourth quarter, and the Hornets closed regulation with a 110-96 lead.
What decided it
The Hornets made 15.3 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 5.6 for the Knicks. The Hornets got more from their shots, finishing at 57.1% effective field-goal shooting compared with 50.6% for the Knicks. The points at the line gave them room for error elsewhere.
The Knicks did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 10.9 against 17.4. The Hornets made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 95 possessions per team, the Hornets produced 116.4 points per 100 possessions to 101.6 for the Knicks.
Who made the difference
Miles McBride was the game's biggest individual force for NYK: 21 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast on 8-15 shooting. His Game Score of 16.3 led everyone. His team was -1 with him on the floor.
Coby White led the Hornets with 19 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast on 6-10 shooting, good for a 12.9 Game Score.
What it means
By our Win Meter this was an upset: The Hornets entered with about a 31% chance.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, New York Knicks lead 4-2.
The Hornets are now 44-38, and the Knicks are 54-29. The Hornets last five before this game: W-W-W-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.