All Hornets

Charlotte's defense steps up in a big way as Hornets stun Knicks

The Charlotte Hornets pick up their 18th win of the season.
Schuyler Callihan|
Mar 20, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) passes off under pressure from Charlotte Hornets center Jusuf Nurkic (11) during the first quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Mar 20, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) passes off under pressure from Charlotte Hornets center Jusuf Nurkic (11) during the first quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

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Charlotte Hornets

The New York Knicks were without Jalen Brunson on Thursday night and the Charlotte Hornets took full advantage, pulling the upset in Uptown by a 115-98 score.

Best of the Night: Hornets' frontcourt

Mark Williams was back to the better version of himself, posting a double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds to go along with three blocks. Miles Bridges also notched a double-double with 15 points on 6/17 shooting and 10 rebounds. Just two days after what looked like a serious injury, Moussa Diabate was right back on the court and chipped in seven points and five boards in 12 minutes of action. Jusuf Nurkic was super efficient as well going for nine and seven on a perfect 3/3 night from the floor.

Worst of the Night: Draft odds?

I'm not one of those people who believe fans should root for losses to land a draft pick, but the reality is, winning tonight is the only "bad" thing that happened. Charlotte's in danger of falling outside of the bottom three, each of whom has a 14% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick.

State of the Night: Three-point defense

New York is one of the better three-point shooting teams in the NBA, shooting the deep ball at a 37% clip. Tonight, the Knicks were held to 10/39 (25.6%) from three-point range. OG Anunoby, Miles McBride, and Mikal Bridges were a combined 4/22. Not allowing a single triple from Bridges is impressive.

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Schuyler Callihan
SCHUYLER CALLIHAN

Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.

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