Getty Gordon Hayward of the Charlotte Hornets reacts in the fourth quarter during their game against the Miami Heat.
After riding high on a nine-game winning streak that spanned just shy of a month-long, the New York Knicks saw their string of success come to an end Tuesday night as they were bested by the lowly Charlotte Hornets to the tune of 112-105.
Despite being down by 16 points heading into the second half of the contest, the visiting Hornets managed to claw their way back during the final two periods of regulation thanks to a combination of strong efforts on defense and high-end energy on offense.
Following the game, Charlotte forward Gordon Hayward was asked by Ashley ShahAhmadi of Bally Sports how it felt to beat the red-hot Knicks at Madison Square Garden, and, in response, the former All-Star dished out a five-word reaction, saying “I know they were stunned.”
“Especially on their nine-game winning-streak, to win, I know they were stunned. They had the big lead, so, that’s the best feeling of basketball right there,” Hayward said.
“We got stops when we needed them.”
@gordonhayward talks with @ashahahmadi about the win and ending the Knicks nine game winning streak.
Hayward finished off his night against the Knicks with a near triple-double, posting 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists while shooting a highly efficient 52.9% from the floor and 50.0% from distance.
Knicks Wing Sounds Off on Questions of ‘Fatigue’
During a post-game media session, Knicks wing Josh Hart was asked if he believed fatigue from their nine-game winning streak played a role in the team’s surprising loss to the lottery-bound Hornets.
In response, the veteran noted that while it may have played a part, he suggested that it cannot be used as an excuse when it comes to a loss.
“Our job is to play basketball,” Hart said. “You got people getting up at 6 AM doing 12-hour shifts. Those guys are tired. You know, for us, you know we’re playing a game and, obviously, we’re fortunate enough to play the game like this where we have to keep that in perspective. We’ve got to go out and compete and play the game that we love to do, to compete at the highest level. So, you know, we got to make sure that we’re full of energy and (that we’re) lively every time we step on the court…I don’t think we can blame this on fatigue.”
Josh Hart when asked about fatigue factoring in to NYK’s loss to CHA tonight: “You got people getting up at 6 am doing 12 hour shifts. Those people are tired. For us, we’re playing a game…. We gotta keep that in perspective.” Full answer:
Tuesday night marked the first time since his arrival to the Knicks back on February 8 that Hart has lost a game in blue and orange threads. Despite the outcome, the 28-year-old continued to produce admirable for the club, as he finished the night with 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists whilst shooting 60% from the floor and a perfect 100% from deep.
The Knicks will have another chance to hopefully jumpstart a new win streak Thursday night, as they will take on the surging Kings out in Sacramento.
Knicks Big Opens Up on Heavy Workload
Though Josh Hart may be against the notion that fatigue played a major factor in the team’s recent loss to the Hornets, it’s easy to see how one could come to that conclusion, especially when it relates to All-Star big man Julius Randle and his heavy workload throughout the year.
The 28-year-old has played in all 67 games for the Knicks this season and finds himself with the second-most minutes played in the NBA this year with 2,409, which equates to 36.0 minutes per night.
In a recent post-game media session, when asked how he manages to stay fresh despite such high usage, Randle opened up about the steps he’s been taking to keep himself ready on a nightly basis.
“I think it’s my mental before anything. You know, a lot of work goes into that every day to make sure I’m mentally refreshed, (that I’m) coming in with a positive attitude, just feeling good about myself and what’s going on. And then I put a lot of work into my body, you know, every day, days in between games, to make sure that I’m doing things and taking necessary steps and checking things off my list to make sure every day, every game I’m coming in (and) I’m feeling good,” Randle said.
To this point, Randle finds himself posting sensational per-game averages all across the board with 25.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on 46.5% shooting from the floor and 35.3% shooting from distance.