Hayward helps lead Hornets past Knicks
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Gordon Hayward scored 34 points as the Charlotte Hornets beat the New York Knicks 109-88 on Monday night for their fourth straight win.
Devonte Graham had 19 points and seven assists for Charlotte, and P.J. Washington had 13 points as the Hornets handed the Knicks their third straight defeat.
Kevin Knox had 19 points to lead the Knicks, and Mitchell Robinson had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Hornets scored 24 points off 17 Knicks turnovers. Charlotte committed 10 turnovers while climbing above .500 for the first time this season.
LaMelo Ball, who became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double on Saturday night against the Hawks, was 3 of 13 from the field and finished with eight points, a career-high 14 rebounds and seven assists.
Hayward has been on fire for the Hornets during the team’s winning streak, averaging 29.2 points while shooting 55% from the field and 92% from the freethrow line.
He scored 28 points in the first half on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and 10-of-10 shooting from the free-throw line to give the Hornets a 57-50 lead at halftime. He finished 11 of 17 from the field.
Knicks guard Austin Rivers got his first start of the season with Reggie Bullock ruled out with a sore hip.
Before the game, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau had high praise for the free agent who got away.
The coach acknowledged that Hayward was “pretty high on our board” in free agency before he signed with the Hornets for an extravagant four years, $120 million. The Knicks carried about $40 million into the offseason but only used about half of it on one-year deals to maintain flexibility.
Sources said Thibodeau was pushing for win-now moves and was a “huge admirer” of Hayward, according to the New York Times.
“There were a number of guys who we thought would fit us,” Thibodeau said before facing Hayward and the Hornets on Monday. “It didn’t work out this time. And we’ll see how it works out in the future.”
Hayward, 30, entered Monday averaging 21.4 points, 5.4 boards and 4.1 assists while shooting 49%. The highlight was his 44-point explosion in last week’s victory over the Hawks. Thibodeau even compared him to Jimmy Butler, who turned into an indispensable star under Thibodeau in Chicago and Minnesota.
“He reminded me of Jimmy Butler in that way in terms of his decision-making and ability to make other people better,” Thibodeau said. “And that goes a long way, I think, in terms of winning. Again he’s one of those guys: You can put the ball in his hands; he can play off the ball. He’s always going to make the right play. He’s going to hit the open man. His length, that size is such a big part of his game and his ability to throw over people.
Hayward unexpectedly hit free agency after turning down his $34 million player option with the Celtics. Considering his deal with the Hornets, it was a smart financial move. Hayward also never meshed with the Celtics, at least partially because he played the same positions as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.