Despite the season being just six weeks old, the New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets already are separated by 7 1/2 games in the Eastern Conference standings.
They also are bonded by the belief that their efforts in their most recent games left a lot to be desired.
The Knicks and visiting Hornets each will be looking to bounce back from disappointing defeats on Wednesday when the teams meet for the second time this season.
New York will be completing a back-to-back set after suffering a 123-117 loss Tuesday night to the host Boston Celtics.
The setback snapped a four-game winning streak for the Knicks, whose average margin of victory during the surge was 18 points.
New York appeared as if it might cruise again Tuesday after racing out to a 14-point first-quarter lead, but the Celtics stormed back to take a 58-52 halftime advantage. Boston scored the final 12 points of the third quarter to expand its lead to 94-76.
The Knicks shot 45% (18-of-40) from the field in the second and third quarters compared to 55.6% (29-of-43) during the first and fourth.
“We’ve got to make sure even when we get up 15, we get up 40, we’re continuing to push the pace, continuing to play fast, continuing to play our basketball,” New York forward Josh Hart said. “I think it’s frankly just kind of stupidity to play one style of basketball, get a 15-, 20-point lead and then abandon what got you the lead. We’ve got to make sure we continue to focus on that and build off of it.”
Jalen Brunson scored 33 points in the Knicks’ 129-101 win over Charlotte on Nov. 26.
The Hornets opened a three-game road trip on Monday with a 116-103 setback to the Brooklyn Nets.
Charlotte appeared to be on the verge of building something when it prepared for the struggling Nets by winning consecutive games for the first time this season on Friday and Saturday. The Hornets beat the Chicago Bulls 123-116 and outlasted the Toronto Raptors, 118-111, in overtime.
Despite the absence of Tre Mann (left ankle) and Brandon Miller (left shoulder), the Hornets opened an 11-point lead in the second quarter Monday before the Nets surged back to earn their first home win of the season. Brooklyn pulled away in the fourth, when it outscored the Hornets 20-10 over the final seven minutes.
“We let the energy involvement affect us,” said Hornets guard Collin Sexton, who scored 15 points off the bench. “And we let certain plays that we just took off affect the whole game. And we can’t do that down the stretch. You can just tell, the way the momentum is going.”
The Hornets announced Tuesday that Mann and Miller will both sit out Wednesday night.
LaMelo Ball, who ranks second on the team with 18.9 points per game, is probable with left wrist soreness.
Kon Knueppel was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month on Tuesday. He leads all rookies in scoring at 18.3 points per game.
