Karl-Anthony Towns delivered 35 points, 18 rebounds and five assists to lead the New York Knicks to a 119-104 win over the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden.
New York improved to 14-7 and moved to 11-1 at home, continuing one of the league’s strongest early-season runs on its own floor.
Towns set the tone inside by shooting 13-for-23 from the field and 3-for-7 from deep, asserting control against a Hornets defense that struggled to match his physicality.
He came within one rebound of a double-double by halftime, posting 19 points and nine boards in the opening 24 minutes.
Jalen Brunson added 26 points and five assists, overcoming a slow shooting start before knocking down a buzzer-beating three to close the second quarter.
Brunson scored 18 points after halftime and guided New York during a key stretch where it outscored Charlotte 42-24 across roughly 13 minutes.
Mikal Bridges contributed 16 points on 7-for-14 shooting and gave New York another reliable scoring option on the wing.
Josh Hart added 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, continuing his steady two-way production in extended minutes.
Miles “Deuce” McBride added 15 points and provided spacing with three made threes, allowing Towns more room to operate in the post.
The Knicks again defended well at home and surrendered just 12 first-quarter points, their lowest concession in any quarter this season.
New York built a 41-21 lead midway through the second period by forcing turnovers and controlling defensive boards without Mitchell Robinson, who sat due to left ankle injury management.
Charlotte responded with a 26-9 run that trimmed the deficit to 50-47 before Brunson’s late three pushed the Knicks ahead 53-47 at the break.
LaMelo Ball kept the Hornets competitive with 34 points, nine assists and eight rebounds while shooting 12-for-27 and making five threes.
Tidjane Salaun and Kon Knueppel each scored 13 points off the bench, providing needed support for a Charlotte roster thin on reliable shot creation.
The Hornets fell to 6-16 and dropped to 1-10 on the road, extending their away losing streak to nine games.
New York shot 48% from the field and finished with a 44-44 rebounding split, countering smaller lineups by generating efficient half-court offense.
The Knicks also limited Charlotte to 40% shooting and held the Hornets to 13-for-42 from three, minimizing second-chance opportunities.
New York never trailed in the game and regained control early in the third quarter, where Towns and Brunson combined for 21 points.
Charlotte could not cut the margin below double digits in the fourth as the Knicks maintained consistent scoring and protected possessions.
The Knicks return to action Friday against the Utah Jazz, while the Hornets travel to face the Toronto Raptors.
