Knicks vs. Hornets: 3 Big Things to Watch
After dropping the first two games of its four-game homestand, the New York Knicks (12-13) closed it out by picking up a winning streak for the first time in nearly a month.
Now, the team heads back on the road to take on the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night (7 p.m. ET, MSG), a prelude to a three-game road trip next week. Charlotte (7-18) has fallen in three consecutive games but took the Knicks to overtime earlier in the season. New York has not won three consecutive games since an early homestand at the start of the year (Oct. 21-26).
Here are three things to watch in this Eastern Conference match-up:
Randle Your Business
Coming off a monstrous 34-point, 17-rebound, five-assist outing on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks, Randle will surely love to repeat that showing on the road. With Wednesday's effort (featuring a season-best in boards), the veteran forward improved his season averages to 21.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game over 33.2 minutes.
The Knicks' fortunes have ebbed and flowed with Randle: they're 4-0 when he reaches at least 30 points this season and 6-2 when he makes it to 25. Conversely, they're 2-5 when he shoots worse than 40 percent, one of the rare wins coming on Sunday over Cleveland.
Take the Buzz Out of Charlotte
With guard Lamelo Ball still sidelined with an ankle injury, the Hornets have been led by the tandem of Terry Rozier and Kelly Oubre Jr.
Though the team has dropped three straight, Rozier has been on an absolute tear over the past few weeks, scoring 20 plus in six straight games and averaging 25.5 over his past four alone
Meanwhile, the veteran wing Oubre Jr. has scorched defenses to the tune of consecutive 28-point games, and six straight 20-plus point performances.
Rozier did not dress in the Knicks and Hornets' last meeting on Oct. 26th, but Oubre finished in a three-way tie for second on the Hornets in scoring with 17 points.
Yes, You, Cam
Cam Reddish, the 10th overall pick from the 2019 NBA Draft, has seen his minutes steadily decline since a groin injury sidelined him for three games during the Knicks' five-game road trip last month. It's gotten to the point where he has fallen out of the Knicks' rotation entirely, sitting out of the last two games despite his health.
Prior to the injury, Reddish plugged himself into the starting lineup for eight consecutive games as the primary shooting guard but has since been replaced by Quentin Grimes.
The Knicks declined to exercise Reddish's rookie contract extension over the summer after he came over from Atlanta in a January trade that sent Kevin Knox and first-round choice south. An opportunity for Reddish potentially lingers with Obi Toppin sidelined for at least two weeks, but is it last in Manhattan?
You can follow Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppard.
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