Hornets @ Knicks (11/17/15)

We return to the team from whence we came! Responding to being outrebounded in the last three games, and spurred by the small injury to PJ Hairston, the Hornets have inserted Cody Zeller into the starting lineup. They come to this game with a very large starting five, and will seek to bring the proverbial hammer down on the non-verbial Knickerbockers. The Hornets especially seek to avoid the kind of knuckle biting drama that accompanied the previous win over the Knicks last week. Here are some notes:

• Zeller energy: Really looked good in the starting lineup, bringing energy on the glass and on the floor, but he picked up 2 fouls in the first 6 minutes and was banished to the bench for the rest of the first half. Clifford left him on the bench the majority of the 2nd half as well, trying to find some kind of scoring punch (which didn’t really work tonight). That did change when Williams tried to kill Lou Amundson with an elbow and was ejected from the game.
• Kaminsky the first big off the bench, and gets a tipped ball on his first defensive possession. He ended up playing a season high 24 minutes, but did not make a discernible impact on the game.
• Sometimes my mind refuses to believe it when our 2nd unit is so consistently excellent. They seem to never be lacking in energy or aggression, and that extends leads or shrinks deficits consistently. Even Spencer Hawes was making shots! (When he wasn’t turning the ball over, or pump faking uselessly into oblivion)
• Free Throws: This is becoming a disturbing trend. The team shot 17 for 25 from the free throw line, good for 68%.
• Kristaps Porzingis: Special. Seriously. He is a fantastic rebounder, he has great hands and a developing feel for the game. He can shoot the ball from range, or finish inside. He was absolutely spectacular today, and the Garden loved him.
• Kemba and the Garden: Speaking of the Garden, Kemba Walker absolutely loves playing in NYC. He scored 31 points in a game where nobody on the Hornet’s was playing well, so it was instrumental in keeping the game close until the end.

Basically, the Hornets lost this game on both ends. They gave up a bunch of offensive rebounds and open 3’s, and they didn’t convert a high enough percentage of shots on offense. Obviously, every team will have some off nights shooting the ball, but this one simply slipped away because the Knicks hit twice as many 3’s. Another day shall come, and another chance to win. Hopefully the Hornets can continue to attempt to tighten the defense up as the season leaves it’s early stages.