Second-stringers feel Hornets stingers in season-finale
Meaningless game for Knicks still held meaning for this author.
Game 29 of 29
The Knicks (53-28, third in the Eastern Conference) hosted the Charlotte Hornets (43-38, 9th in the Eastern Conference) in a meaningless game for New York, who rested most of their key players after clinching the 3rd seed.
Charlotte didn't need this game to make the postseason either, having already locked in a matchup with the Miami Heat in the NBA play-in tournament, but they needed either a win over the Knicks or a Heat loss to the visiting Atlanta Hawks to secure home-court advantage in the 9/10 matchup against Miami.
This was a game where expectations were low.
Game Night
The Knicks and Hornets had played each other 131 times, with the Knicks holding a 72-59 all-time record, but the Hornets beat them in Charlotte the last time they played, back on March 26th, snapping the Knicks’ 7-game winning streak and delivering a message, cementing themselves as a team to be reckoned with sooner or later.
Seating Chart
I found a well-priced seat in Section 212, Row 4. It was Jalen Brunson Bobblehead night. Everyone with a ticket got a free bobblehead.
Injury Report
Both teams were healthy, but the Knicks rested Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Landry Shamet, Mitchell Robinson, and Tyler Kolek.
Game Notes
Although he wouldn’t suit up to play, Jalen Brunson addressed the crowd, thanking them for supporting the team.
The starters were Jose Alvarado, Mohamed Diawara, Mikal Bridges, Ariel Hukporti, and Miles McBride. 23 seconds into the game, Mikal Bridges committed a personal foul, and Jordan Clarkson checked into the game for Bridges, preserving the length of Mikal’s regular-season consecutive games played streak, which stands at 638, the eighth longest such streak in NBA history.
Deuce tied the game at 8 with 6:11 to play. He then hit two threes and a two-pointer, capping a personal ten-point run. 16-15, just under four minutes (3:52) left.
At some point during the quarter, I was tapped on the shoulder by my seat neighbor, who got my attention by lifting his phone up in front of me. On his phone screen was a translation from Italian to English.
“I’m an Italian journalist, and I bought my ticket on StubHub for $300, did I pay a fair price?”
I had found my seat, the seat immediately to his right, for $234, but I didn't have the heart to mime or type out “no,” so instead I gave him my best silent thumbs up.
Coby White sank a three at the buzzer to give the Hornets a 30-20 lead after one, which grew to 57-44 at halftime. The game and the crowd lacked energy. Even the MSG organist took some plays off, prompting a poor kid behind me to do the defense chant all by himself.
Deuce McBride led the Knicks with 18 at the half. Jose Alvarado had 8, while no other Knick had more than 4. Charlotte had a balanced attack behind Lamelo Ball’s 12 points, Brandon Miller’s 11, Coby White’s 10, and Kon Kneuppel’s 8.
Charlotte led after three, 87-73. I stuck around until about five minutes were left before heading for the exit. Leaving MSG, I ran into two different guys offering cash for the Brunson Bobblehead.
Charlotte won, 110-96, clinching the 9 seed in the East and the right to host the Heat in their play-in game later this week. The Miami Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks, so the Hawks fell to 6th place and will be the Knicks’ first-round playoff opponent. The Toronto Raptors will play the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 4-5 matchup. Detroit and Boston, the top two seeds in the Conference, await the winners of the play-in tournament to learn their first-round opponents. My money is on Charlotte being one of those opponents.
Final Thoughts
Mission accomplished!
I completed the cycle. I saw every team this season, in person, against the Knicks. It’s been great to have a purpose and direction over the past six months. Seeing every team, traveling, shadowing the Knicks, connecting with friends, expanding my mental map of the country, meeting other fans, and writing about the fan experience have all been incredibly rewarding.
I’ll have an article out soon to recap the year, but looking back, I barely recognize some of the earlier articles. I'm happy to be at the finish line, but I spent so much time planning and executing this season’s plan that I haven't put much thought into what comes next, except that there are still fifteen arenas I haven't visited, and more to come if the NBA expands, which would put Las Vegas and Seattle on the itinerary. This feels less like the beginning of the end and more like the end of the beginning.
Up Next
The Playoffs! There won't be any actual NBA basketball until Tuesday, when the play-in tournament begins for the 7-10 seeds in each Conference to determine the final playoff cohort.
Look for the NBA to announce the playoff schedule shortly, with a high probability of a Knicks first-round playoff game at MSG next Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
