Enes Kanter ranted and raved all week against tanking, that developing guys should be saved for the G-League. Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek questioned his players Friday on whether they accepted defeats too easily.
The Knicks finally did something about it as they notched their first victory in March, snapped a nine-game losing streak, an eight-game home skid and pounded the hapless Hornets, 124-101, at the Garden.
They led by as many as 38 in the fourth quarter, and the locker room was filled with jokes and laughter for the first time since the win in Orlando on Feb. 22.
“That message was one of the keys tonight to maybe wake some players on this team, wake everybody up,’’ second-half hero Frank Ntilikina said. “We were just tired of losing. We showed it tonight. We played with so much energy.”
With a season-best 42-point third quarter, the Knicks put Charlotte away with ease, as Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 25 points and the rookie Ntilikina posted his NBA career-high 15 points after going scoreless in a loss to the 76ers on Thursday. Ntilikina hit back-to-back jumpers in the fourth, including a rare four-point play to put the Knicks up, 105-67.
“I thought he was great,’’ Hornacek said. “He took the shots. He was confident with his moves. He didn’t hesitate. When he played off the ball and a guy threw it to him, he shot.’’
Ntilikina, who made five of eight shots, was one of four bench players to notch double-digits as athletic forward Troy Williams added 13 points, rookie Isaiah Hicks notched 12 and Trey Burke 14. The bench scored 70 points.
Hardaway and Burke looked like they were back playing during March Madness. Burke, who had a hot hand off the bench during that 1-17 slide, hit a number of tough shots and converted dipsy-do crossover drives to the basket.
“It was going back to those Michigan days,’’ Hardaway said. “The isolations on the bigs and those Baby A.I. [Allen Iverson] moves, putting defenders on skates.”
The Hornets (30-40) were still six games out of the eighth seed and hadn’t given up on a late playoff run, but they were brutal and Kemba Walker had an off night (10 points, two assists).
The victory, coupled with the Bulls’ loss to the Cavaliers, dropped the Knicks into the ninth seed in the lottery after briefly being eighth. The Bulls held out three players, Lauri Markkanen, Zach Lavine and Kris Dunn. “The Tank Bowl” is Monday at the Garden when the Bulls visit. The Knicks’ best chance of picking up ping-pong balls during their massive slide has been finishing worse than the Bulls.
Williams, after playing against the 76ers, sparked the Knicks (25-45) in the second quarter when they took control. He connected on a left-wing 3-pointer, a power lefty putback dunk and a drive to the basket with contact to ignite the crowd. Burke and Williams sparked a big second quarter that gave the Knicks a 57-50 halftime lead before the 42-17 third period.
Ex-Knick Willy Hernangomez had plenty of garbage time to get his 13 minutes. He came in with 56 seconds left in the third quarter to a nice ovation after being traded in February. He even attempted a 3-pointer, making it and finishing with nine points (2-of-2 from the field, 4-of-4 on free throws) and six rebounds.
Though starting shooting guard Courtney Lee missed the game to attend a family funeral, Ntilikina was not put into the starting lineup to pair with Emmanuel Mudiay. Hornacek went instead to Lance Thomas in place of Lee as a better matchup against Nic Batum, who was 1-of-7. Hornacek credited Thomas’ defense.