Seven more assists for Julius Randle.
Eleven over 3 points combined from men on the backcourt RJ Barrett and Reggie Bullock.
Countless more payments for the nasty central tandem of Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson. And another defensive gem of the Knicks ’second half, which keeps the Hornets at 31 points.
It all came down to a Lucky 7, as some 2,000 socially distanced Garden fans gave the club a standing ovation at the last minute.
The Knicks won their seventh straight game Tuesday with a 109-97 victory over Charlotte, achieving a six-point deficit at halftime after the first half when their defense was asleep.
The Knicks woke up long enough to record their longest winning streak since winning eight straight wins during a 2014 playoff push that fell short.
This push of the playoffs develops smoothly. They placed fifth with a 32-27 lead, halfway through the Hawks for fourth place. Atlanta visits the garden Wednesday in what is set to be a possible battle to take advantage on the local court in the first round of the playoffs.
Barrett swept the Hornets in the third quarter with 18 points and finished with 24. After going 1 of 8 in the first half, Barrett, as usual, did not lose a bit of confidence and shot in a perfect 4 by 4 from the 3-point range.
Derrick Rose had his second solid start in a row, scoring 18 points on 8 of 12 shots.
Randle, the current Eastern Conference Player of the Week, started a new week with 18 points, seven assists and 10 rebounds.
After going 13 of 19 from the first half, the Hornets shot 1 of 9 in the third quarter when the Knicks tightened up. The Knicks started the second half with a 16-4 run in the first 3:40.
The Knicks shot out the goal like a thoroughbred at first, taking 12-3 and 17-8 advantage, getting four of their first five triples.
Then the Knicks couldn’t defend the 3-point line. The Knicks ’best 3-point defense in the league was broken in the first half as the Hornets won a 66-60 lead at halftime.
Hornets point guard Terry Rozier, who will no doubt be a person of interest in the commercial market this summer, nailed two consecutive 3s in the last 30 seconds to give Charlotte momentum.
The first quarter was stolen by sophomore PJ Washington, a deserving selection of second-team rookies last season. Washington racked up 17 points in the first quarter, making everyone forget about the still-injured Gordon Hayward. Washington ranked 5 out of 5 from three points in the first period.