PREVIEW: The Charlotte Hornets travel to Madison Square Garden on Sunday to face the New York Knicks , marking a clash between two teams moving in opposite directions down the stretch. New York sits at 53-28 and holds the third seed in the Eastern Conference , while Charlotte stands at 43-38 in the ninth position. The Knicks have won seven straight games to reach their current position , though none of their recent opponents compare to Charlotte's current level of play. New York's defense ranks fourth in the league in points allowed per game with 110.1 , presenting a formidable obstacle for a Hornets squad looking to secure home court advantage in the play-in tournament. Charlotte arrives as the more dynamic offensive force in this matchup, having transformed their season through explosive basketball since the calendar flipped to 2026. Led by LaMelo Ball, the Hornets possess the league's top offensive rating since January and have made more three-pointers than any other team on the second-highest volume of attempts while converting at the most efficient rate in the league. The Knicks shoot 47.8 percent from the floor, ranked eleventh in the NBA, and average 116.7 points per contest , giving them a balanced but not overwhelming offensive profile. New York forces 14.3 turnovers per game and allows opponents to shoot just 46.0 percent from the field , which could prove critical if Charlotte struggles to maintain their recent offensive consistency against elite perimeter defense.