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 The New York Knicks rookie forward poured in a personal- best 29
points in the Knicks 102-94 victory over the Hornets Tuesday at
Madison Square Garden. The scoring performance occurred less than a
week after Porzingis' 3-pointer was ruled off at the buzzer by video
review in Charlotte's 95-93 win over New York on Nov. 11.
Porzingis also grabbed 11 rebounds Tuesday for his fifth
double-double of the season. Only Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns
(six) has recorded more double-doubles among rookies this season.
Forward Carmelo Anthony scored 18 points and pulled down 11 rebounds
and distributed five assists, and guard Arron Afflalo scored 16
points for New York (6-6), which didn't get to six wins last season
until its 42nd game.
The Hornets (5-6) received a season-high 31 points from guard Kemba
Walker, 14 points from forward Spencer Hawes and 13 points from
reserve guard Jeremy Lin, a former Knick.
Charlotte had won its previous four meetings with the Knicks.
The slender, 7-foot-3 Porzingis, who was booed when the Knicks
drafted him with the fourth pick this summer, had Garden fans
chanting ''Por-zing-is! Por-zing-is!'' and "MVP, "MVP," in the
fourth quarter, shortly after his three-point play following an
offensive rebound gave the Knicks a 93-81 lead with 7:36 left.
"I know he (Porzingis) is ready," Anthony said. "I knew what to
expect coming in. People have to do their jobs, write what they are
going to write and say what they are going to say.
"It is still a learning process for him (Porzingis), but tonight was
a big game for him. I'm sure it's going to be the first of many."
Porzingis entered Tuesday's game fourth in scoring among rookies
(11.4 points per game) and second behind Towns in rebounding (8.4).
"Everyone was saying I was a project," Porzingis admitted. "I am
going to get better, but I am ready to play right now.
"Going into this game I was thinking not to force anything. Whenever
I have a shot I would take it, if not keep playing. That was my
mentality."
Porzingis made two clutch free throws with 11 seconds to play to
give the Knicks a comfortable 100-95 lead. He was 7-for-7 from the
line and 10-for-17 from the floor.
"He (Porzingis) was great," said Hornets coach Steve Clifford. "He
hurt us in the first half with his cutting. He made two 3's, I
believe and he was on the offensive glass."
Afflalo and Calderon each drained 3-pointers 22 seconds apart early
in the fourth quarter to move the New York lead to 88-79 with 8:52
to play. That started a 16-6 Knicks run en route to a 98-85 lead.
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Calderon sank two free throws after Charlotte forward Marvin
Williams was called for a flagrant foul on forward Lou Amundson and
was subsequently ejected with 7:45 to play and the Knicks ahead
90-82. Amundson left the game after taking an elbow to the head.
A pair of 3-pointers in the last minute of the third quarter from
Knicks guard Langston Galloway provided New York with an 80-72 lead
going into the fourth quarter.
Lin scored seven points in the second quarter to help Charlotte to a
48-46 halftime cushion.
New York went into a shooting dry spell to open the second quarter,
connecting on 2 of 12 shots from the floor during the first seven
minutes. Charlotte took advantage of the drought, embarking on a
19-6 run for a 40-32 edge with 4:41 left in the first half. Hawes
came off the bench to contribute eight of those points.
The Knicks broke a 15-15 tie by going on an 11-2 run on the way to a
26-21 first-quarter lead. Porzingis scored eight points and pulled
down six rebounds in the quarter.
NOTES: Charlotte G Nicolas Batum was named the NBA's Eastern
Conference Player of the Week for games played Nov. 9-15. Batum led
the Hornets to a 3-1 week behind averages of 25.5 points (fifth in
the East), 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists. The French native ranked
fifth in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (57.7
percent), connecting on 15-of-26. Batum scored only four points
Tuesday, going 1-for-9 from the field. ... F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
(right shoulder surgery) and G P.J. Hairston (right quad contusion)
were out for the Hornets. ... G Cleanthony Early was inactive for
the Knicks. ... The Knicks wore throwback uniforms from 1953-61,
with alternating orange-and-blue trim around the neck and vertically
along the sides of the jerseys and shorts. ... Charlotte opens a
seven-game homestand Wednesday against Brooklyn. It won't play a
road game until Dec. 5.
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