New York — which had the NBA’s worst record just in the last week — catapulted up the standings thanks to wins against the Pelicans, Sixers and Magic.
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Then things came crashing down.
Starting a lineup of Lou Amundson, Jason Smith, Lance Thomas, Langston Galloway and Tim Hardaway Jr., the Knicks failed to convert a third opportunity to extend their streak despite Kemba Walker’s absence for the boys from the Queen City.
Hardaway Jr. scored 25 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists but Charlotte’s defensive presence was too much. The Hornets had six blocks and pushed the Knicks into 18 turnovers compared to just nine.
The result was Charlotte squeaking past in the final three minutes to end a whirlwind five days on top for New York.
In that same time span, Minnesota lost three straight games to give them a stranglehold on the league’s worst record.
New York now stands at 8-37 on the year and can proudly say they are .011 percentage points above the Timberwolves.
Long live the Knicks.
