The New York Knicks (31-42) play against the Charlotte Hornets (36-36) at Spectrum Center

Game Time: 7:00 PM EDT on Wednesday March 23, 2022

New York Knicks 121, Charlotte Hornets 106 (Final)

What's the buzz on Twitter?

David Hardisty @clutchfans
The Brooklyn loss tonight was huge. 9 games left. Kyrie is back full time. They face an angry Heat team next. The pick is #16.
CLE (6th seed) now has a 4-game lead in the L column. TOR (7th) has a 3-game edge.
CHA (9th) lost at home to NYK tonight, blowing a chance to tie BKN. – 11:42 PM

Evan Fournier @EvanFourmizz
Most 3s made in a season by a Knick.
Never been a record guy, but I am feeling humble tonight to hold one in such an iconic franchise.
Thanks to my teammates for all the great passes, and all the fans telling to shoot it every time I touch the ball lol. – 10:52 PM

Charlotte Hornets @hornets
"We've talked about different ways, different solutions, but at the end of the day, we have to go out there & apply ourselves. All 5 of us have to collectively come out with way better energy. It has to be now because every game matters." – Terry Rozier
#AllFly | @HusqvarnaUSA – 10:48 PM

Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Celtics standings watch:
1. MIA – 1.5 GB
2. MIL – 0.0 GB (up by %)
3. BOS
4. PHI – 0.5 UP (tipping off now)
5. CHI – 3.0 UP
6. CLE – 4.0 UP
7. TOR – 5.0 UP
8. BKN – 7.5 UP
9. CHA – 8.5 UP
10. ATL – 9.5 UP – 10:08 PM

Dave Early @DavidEarly
Per Brooklyn Nets PR:
Kyrie Irving has reached the following point totals in his last four games played:
40 points – tonight at Memphis
60 points – 3/15 at Orlando
22 points – 3/10 at Philadelphia
50 points – 3/8 at Charlotte – 9:56 PM

Eric Walden @tribjazz
FINAL: Celtics 125, Jazz 97. Game was over halfway thru the 1Q. Don 37p/6r, Gobert 14/11. Jazz 39.8% overall, 8-36 from 3. Boston 59.5% overall, 19-36 from deep. Road trip rolls on to Charlotte, on Friday. – 9:44 PM

Andy Larsen @andyblarsen
Celtics beat Jazz 125-97. A thorough loss, where the Celtics really showed their class and the Jazz played pretty poorly.
Mitchell scored 37, though.
Charlotte next on Friday. – 9:43 PM

Steve Popper @StevePopper
Thibodeau, praising Fournier for setting franchise record for 3's in a single season adds, "Also recognize Starks, as crazy as he is, he's held that record for a long time." – 9:36 PM

Tommy Beer @TommyBeer
Most 30-point games by a player age 21 or younger this season:
RJ Barrett: 11
LaMelo Ball: 8
Anthony Edwards: 7
Tyler Herro: 4
Tyrese Maxey: 4
Darius Garland: 3
Cole Anthony: 3 – 9:20 PM

Tommy Beer @TommyBeer
Obi Toppin finishes with:
18 points (on 8-for-11 shooting)
11 rebounds,
6 assists,
2 made three-pointers
He was a game-high +19 – 9:18 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
Final: Knicks 121, Hornets 106.
Knicks improve to 31-42, 11th in the East.
• Barrett 30-3-3
• Toppin 18-11-6
• Burks 17-7-3
• Quickley 10-5-7
• Fournier 12 pts, 7 asts
• Ball 32-9-5
Seven Knicks scored in double-figures. Knicks shot 20-for-45 from 3-point land. – 9:16 PM

Rod Boone @rodboone
Final: Knicks 121, #Hornets 106
Five-game win streak snapped. Bad loss.
LaMelo 32 pts, 9 rebs, 5 ast
Terry Rozier 18 pts, 3 rebs, 3 ast
Miles Bridges 15 pts, 9 ast, 5 rebs
Up next: vs. Utah on Friday – 9:14 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
RJ Barrett has 30 points for the second consecutive night and the third time in five games. – 9:13 PM

Chris Kirschner @ChrisKirschner
Notable losses for the Hawks this season:
1 to Orlando
1 to Houston
1 to San Antonio
1 to Portland
3 to New York
And about to be 2 to Detroit – 8:59 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
Through three quarters, the Knicks lead the Hornets 99-87.
• Barrett 24 pts, 3 asts
• Toppin 14-6-5
• Fournier 12 pts, 7 asts
• Quickley 10-5-5
• Ball 32-8-4
Knicks have 26 assists, are 18-36 from deep. Seven Knicks have scored in double figures. – 8:42 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
Evan Fournier has set a new franchise record for most 3-point makes in a season in Knicks history: 218, surpassing John Starks' previous record, which Starks set in 1994-95. – 8:35 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
Halftime. Knicks lead the Hornets 69-56.
• Barrett 15 pts
• Toppin 11-4-3
• Burks 10-5-2
• Fournier 9 pts, 5 asts
• Ball 19-5-2
Knicks are 14-for-26 from deep, have 19 assists. – 8:01 PM

Rod Boone @rodboone
Halftime: Knicks 69, #Hornets 56
LaMelo 19 pts, 5 rebs, 2 ast. Who knows where they would be without him. He had 14 points in the second quarter.
One of the worst defensive halves of the season. Lost track of the number of players who've been left wide open. – 8:01 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
Evan Fournier has tied John Starks for the most single-season 3-point makes in Knicks history. He just drained his 217th of the season. Next one gives him the franchise record. – 7:56 PM

Tommy Beer @TommyBeer
Whew, it's a good thing the Knicks didn't experiment with playing the kids together or pushing the pace over the first 70 games of the season – 7:45 PM

Michael Lee @MrMichaelLee
So what did we learn today boys & girls? It's easier to enforce rules when they don't affect the Yankees. Kyrie Irving gets his wish but the timing of New York changing its private sector vaccine mandate aligns less with science & more Aaron Judge smacking dingers out of the park – 7:38 PM

Marc Berman @NYPost_Berman
Knicks take 40-24 lead with Obi Toppin, Jericho Sims, Alec Burks, Immanuel Quickley solid and Taj Gibson capping it with last-second 3. No Julius, Mitchell and RJ was quiet. – 7:37 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
Through one quarter, the Knicks lead the Hornets 40-24.
• Burks 10-3-2
• Toppin 9-4-2
• Quickley 6 pts, 3 asts
• Sims 6 pts
• Harrell 5 pts, 2 rebs
Knicks shot 15-22 on FGs, 8-14 on 3Ps in the first quarter. – 7:36 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
So, is Taj Gibson automatic from the corners now? And if so, why haven't I written 17 stories on it? – 7:35 PM

Rod Boone @rodboone
End of first quarter: Knicks 40, #Hornets 24
Deficit was as large as 17. The Knicks hit 8 — count 'em 8! — three-pointers in the quarter. – 7:35 PM

Steve Popper @StevePopper
Knicks put up 40 in the first quarter — Obi with 9-4-2; Taj Gibson finishes it with a corner 3. Lots of extra passes for the open shot. Fournier 1-for-4 from 3 – still 2 behind Starks for franchise record. – 7:35 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
I vividly remember plays in the very early season when Jericho Sims got the ball, should've gone into a dribble-handoff or made an easy pass and instead, he looked like a deer in the headlights. Now, he's making intuitive swing passes. Encouraging development. – 7:27 PM

Steve Popper @StevePopper
The crowd here in Charlotte is, let's say, scattered with plenty of room to spread out. And a lot of Knicks jerseys. – 7:06 PM

Marc Berman @NYPost_Berman
Unvaccinated Kyrie Irving is back playing home games in Brooklyn with new mayor ruling. All Knicks players and staff have been vaccinated from training camp on. – 6:56 PM

Stefan Bondy @SBondyNYDN
According to a source familiar with the situation, the announcement from City Hall tomorrow includes not only athletes but all New York-based entertainment performers. – 6:44 PM

Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
Kyrie Irving is eligible to make his home debut at Barclays Center on Sunday vs. the Charlotte Hornets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. New NYC exemption for in-town athletes and performers will be effective immediately beginning Thursday. – 6:40 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Nets are on the road Saturday, have a back-to-back at home against Charlotte on Sunday. So I guess that will be Kyrie Irving's home debut? I'm hedging because this has been such a mess. – 6:35 PM

Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
Sources: Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving will be cleared for home games as New York City will on Thursday change private sector vaccine mandate to allow exemption for athletes and entertainers in workplace. Unvaccinated Yankees and Mets players also now eligible for home games. – 6:32 PM

Ian Begley @IanBegley
Obi Toppin, Jericho Sims, Evan Fournier, RJ Barrett, Alec Burks starting for NYK tonight, team says. – 6:19 PM

Atlanta Hawks PR @HawksPR
Bogdan Bogdanovic is the only bench player in the NBA this season to have two games of 30+ points and 3+ steals as a reserve. Both of those outings have come within his last three games played (3/18 vs. MEM, 3/22 at NYK). – 6:16 PM

Ian Begley @IanBegley
From earlier: "He works relentlessly. From the time I…started working with him at WVU, he wanted to go at it every day…I think his hunger is the biggest thing that's going to take him forward."
WVU's @JuwanStaten3 on training NYK's Miles McBride. More: on.sny.tv/9sT8jhx – 6:10 PM

Steve Popper @StevePopper
With Randle and Robinson out Obi will start and Thibodeau said he has not decided on the starter at center. Spoiler: he has decided. – 5:36 PM

Steve Popper @StevePopper
Knicks say Julius Randle (sore right quadriceps tendon) and Mitchell Robinson (sore lower back) are out for tonight's game at Charlotte. – 4:36 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
Mitchell Robinson has a sore lower back and is OUT for tonight's game in Charlotte, the Knicks say. Julius Randle is also OUT with the sore right quad tendon. – 4:31 PM

Tommy Beer @TommyBeer
Knicks have ruled out both Julius Randle (sore right quadriceps tendon) and Mitchell Robinson (sore lower back) for tonight's game at Charlotte. – 4:31 PM

Krishna Narsu @knarsu3
Have been putting together a crowdsourced projected playoff rotation for all of the teams in the playoffs/play-in contention. Looking for someone who covers the Nets and Hornets who could fill it out for those teams. – 3:40 PM

Andy Larsen @andyblarsen
NBA spokesman Mike Bass on if and how the league plans to take action if HB11 is passed: "We're working closely with the Jazz on this matter."
The NBA moved the All-Star Game out of Charlotte after NC's anti-transgender HB2 bill. (Then returned after the bill was repealed.) – 3:21 PM

StatMuse @statmuse
The Charlotte Hornets are on a 5 game win streak. They are currently tied with the Phoenix Suns for the longest active win streak in the NBA.
They are top 5 this season in points, assists and threes per game.
#MuseTakeover pic.twitter.com/DozSxXxQAD – 2:49 PM

Ian Begley @IanBegley
Latest NBA injury report lists Julius Randle as doubtful for tonight's game vs CHA. Randle has a sore right quadricep tendon. He missed last night's game vs. ATL due to the soreness, per NYK. Tom Thibodeau said last night that Randle is day to day and rest will aid his soreness. – 1:34 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
Julius Randle listed as DOUBTFUL for tonight's game in Charlotte with the sore right quad tendon. Randle missed last night's game against the Hawks with the same injury. – 1:30 PM

Marc Berman @NYPost_Berman
Julius Randle is doubtful vs. Charlotte with his sore quad after missing last night's game. Seems in no rush now after Thibodeau mentioned in general about him being "a step behind" when he lasted played vs. Utah. – 1:18 PM