Stops, looks, listened
Hornacek’s advice elevating Lee’s play
Like a dutiful student, Knick Courtney Lee simply did as he was told.
“I’m just trying to be more aggressive and take those shots. Coach has shown me film and the shots I’ve passed up, areas where I could be more aggressive,” Lee said of his season-long chats with coach Jeff Hornacek. “That’s all I’m trying to do.”
So Friday, Lee saw late game opportunities and shot. And shot. Four times in a row in fact, helping turn a six-point Knicks deficit into a one-point lead that never faltered in the 110-107 victory over Charlotte at the Garden.
“We can build from this. This was an important game for us, especially with protecting home court and getting ready to go on the road,” Lee said of the victory that sent the Knicks in good frame of mind for Sunday in Atlanta.
Down 99-93, Lee drained a jumper from 18-feet, a 23footer, a layup and then a 3pointer at 1:38 that brought a 102-101 lead. Yes, the Knicks stifled the Hornets for 6:10, but Lee’s shooting was crucial. And he was huge defensively.
“Exactly, on both sides. ... He hit those three or four shots in a row and defensively he got a steal [and] brought the whole energy up,” Kristaps Porzingis said.
“He was a big reason why we won,” Carmelo Anthony said. “Courtney Lee should get most of the credit.”
And it was a game the Knicks needed.
“Our sense of urgency is picking up. We realize we can’t keep saying that it’s early in the season,” said Lee, pointing to the playoffs goal. “We realize now time is running out. ... We have to approach every game like it’s the one that’s going to cancel us out of the playoffs.”
It has been an often uneven season for Lee, who signed a four-year, $50 million free agent deal in the offseason. He started slow and consistently heard Hornacek’s urgings to shoot. He was bumped from the starting lineup for three games while Hornacek searched through injuries for workable combos. Lee posted, deleted and explained an Instagram post with pictures from “Dumb and Dumber” which he said were misinterpreted. Yup, interesting exercise.
“It’s been rocky but hopefully the road is straight and narrow right now and we keep building on this,” said Lee, who scored 16 points Friday.
“I feel good right now,” Lee said, hoping the 4-14 slide that sent Knicks fans scurrying for antacids is in the rearview mirror. “We knew it was going to be tough with a whole new group of guys. Didn’t know it was going to be this tough. But the good thing, when you hit rock bottom you can only go up and that’s what we’re holding on to.”