Knicks 102, Hornets 94
NEW YORK -- Rookie forward Kristaps Porzingis enjoyed the best game of his young career, scoring a personal best 29 points in the New York Knicks' 102-94 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.
Porzingis also grabbed 11 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season.
Forward Carmelo Anthony scored 18 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, and guard Arron Afflalo scored 16 points for New York (6-6).
The Hornets (5-6) received 31 points from guard Kemba Walker, 14 points from forward Spencer Hawes and 13 points from reserve guard Jeremy Lin, a former Knick.
Charlotte had won its previous five meetings with the Knicks.
Porzingis made two clutch free throws with 11 seconds to play to give the Knicks a comfortable 100-95 lead. He was 7-for-7 from the line and 10-for-17 from the floor.
Afflalo and Calderon each drained 3-pointers 22 seconds apart early in the fourth quarter to move the New York lead to 88-79 with 8:52 to play. That started a 16-6 Knicks run en route to a 98-85 lead.
Calderon sank two free throws after Charlotte forward Marvin Williams was called for a flagrant foul on forward Lou Amundson and was subsequently ejected with 7:45 to play and the Knicks ahead 90-82. Amundson left the game after taking an elbow to the head.
A pair of 3-pointers in the last minute of the third quarter from Knicks guard Langston Galloway provided New York with an 80-72 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Lin scored seven points in the second quarter to help Charlotte to a 48-46 halftime cushion.
New York went into a shooting dry spell to open the second quarter, connecting on just two of 12 shots from the floor during the first seven minutes. Charlotte took advantage of the drought, embarking on a 19-6 run for a 40-32 edge with 4:41 left in the first half. Hawes came off the bench to contribute eight of those points.
The Knicks broke a 15-15 tie by going on an 11-2 run on the way to a 26-21 first-quarter lead. Porzingis scored eight points and pulled down six rebounds in the quarter.
NOTES: Charlotte G Nicolas Batum was named the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Nov. 9-15. Batum led the Hornets to a 3-1 week behind averages of 25.5 points (fifth in the East), 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists. The French native ranked fifth in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (57.7 percent), connecting on 15-of-26. ... F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (right shoulder surgery) and G P.J. Hairston (right quad contusion) were out for the Hornets. ... G Cleanthony Early was inactive for the Knicks.