Hornets at Knicks
The New York Knicks are apparently intent on getting star forward Carmelo Anthony out of town, though he seems to be the least of their problems at the moment. The Knicks will try to fight off the trade rumors and earn a fifth win in the last 19 games when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.
Anthony, who is one of just three players in the NBA with a no-trade clause in his contract, has repeatedly said that he is committed to winning in New York, but that hasn't stopped team president Phil Jackson from taking swipes at his star in the press or trying to move him, with the latest rumor an Anthony-for-Kevin Love swap that did not interest the Cleveland Cavaliers. "I really don’t have a reaction to it," Anthony told reporters. "Until management comes to me and says something, then it’s not something to look forward to or feed into it at this point. I really don’t have a reaction to it." The Hornets are riding a bit of a roller coaster of late, following five straight losses with three consecutive wins before dropping their last two. Charlotte carried a lead into the fourth quarter at home against the NBA-best Golden State Warriors on Wednesday before surrendering 38 points in the final frame and falling 113-103.
TV: 7 :30 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Charlotte), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE HORNETS (23-23): Charlotte coach Steve Clifford wasn't interested in the notion that hanging with the Warriors late was any sort of moral victory. "It’s not OK," Clifford told reporters. "We have to get past the point (where trying hard is enough). We’re good now. We’re not the Hornets of five years ago. I love our fans, (but) everybody saying, ‘Great effort!’ that’s not OK. If we run back on defense and don’t turn the ball over, that's a great win." The Hornets had six players score in double figures in the loss but committed 15 turnovers, leading to 21 points, and were outscored 28-4 on the fast break.
ABOUT THE KNICKS (20-27): Anthony scored 30 or more points in four of the last six games and went 13-of-24 from the floor at Dallas on Wednesday, but New York still fell 103-95. The 32-year-old's five-year, $124 million contract runs through the 2018-19 campaign, and the Knicks appeared earlier in the season to be building a winner around him before the team fell off the rails over the last six weeks. "It’s definitely frustrating because we have the talent," reserve point guard Brandon Jennings told reporters. "We were 14-10. Now we’re fighting to try to even not be last in the East."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Knicks rookie C Willy Hernangomez grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds in 24 minutes on Wednesday.
2. Charlotte SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is averaging 13.3 points on 18-of-31 shooting in the last three games.
3. The teams split the first two meetings this season, with New York earning a 113-111 home win on Nov. 25 behind 35 points and 14 rebounds from Anthony.