Knicks at Hornets
The New York Knicks won only seven road games last season while posting a
franchise-worst 17-65 record. Vastly improved New York looks for its
fourth win in five away games in the current campaign when it visits the
Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.
The Knicks' lone road loss came against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavilers and they played solidly while notching a 111-109 victory in Toronto on Tuesday. New York was 11-of-23 from 3-point range and scored the most points the Raptors have allowed this season. Charlotte recorded a 104-95 road victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday as backup guards Jeremy Lin (team-high 19 points) and Jeremy Lamb (18) sparked an effort that included 57 points from reserves. "It's less pressure on the starters," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said afterward of his bench. "A lot of times, you can almost have two groups. Guys don't have to play as well every night. We have more ways that we can score."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), FSN Southeast (Charlotte)
ABOUT THE KNICKS (4-4): New York was largely uncompetitive last season and Tuesday's victory was another example of the difference in the psyche of the team. The game featured 13 lead changes and the Knicks let a 13-point lead slip away before forward Carmelo Anthony called a huddle late in the third quarter designed to inspire his teammates. "I thought that kind of reset everybody's mindset a bit and allowed us to have a pretty solid fourth quarter," Anthony said after scoring 25 points. "It was just a matter of everybody picking up the intensity, picking up the level of focus, the energy and going out there and playing basketball at that point."
ABOUT THE HORNETS (3-4): Veteran forward Marvin Williams was a major disappointment last year but has gotten off to a strong start in his second season in Charlotte. Williams is averaging 10.7 points and nine rebounds and already has three double-doubles after having one last season. "I just feel better. I'm in a lot better shape, so physically I feel better, and mentally I feel better," Williams told reporters. "Any time you change teams, that first season is always kind of an adjustment period. Obviously last year didn’t go as well as I wanted it to go - not saying that it was terrible, but it wasn’t how I, or any of us for that matter, wanted it to go.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Hornets went 3-1 against New York last season and have won six of the past nine meetings.
2. Knicks SG Arron Afflalo (hamstring) is expected to be cleared to make his season debut.
3. Charlotte G P.J. Hairston (migraine) departed Tuesday's game and his availability isn't yet known.