Hornets Beat Knicks 110-96 for No. 9 East Seed

In New York on Sunday, the Charlotte Hornets defeated the New York Knicks 110-96, securing the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference and home-court advantage in the NBA play-in tournament for the first time in a decade.

LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller led the way with 19 points apiece, while Coby White added another 19 off the bench. Kon Knueppel contributed 14 points, including three 3-pointers on 10 attempts, capping a rookie season in which he set an NBA record with 273 made triples, the most by any player. Ball finished with 272, placing second league-wide and marking the first time since 2015-16 that teammates finished first and second in 3-pointers made, a feat last achieved by Golden State's Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

The victory improved Charlotte's record to 44-38, highlighted by a strong 33-16 finish that included 17 wins in their last 21 road games. The Hornets jumped to a 30-20 lead after the first quarter and maintained control throughout, outscoring the Knicks 26-12 on second-chance points despite both teams grabbing 12 offensive rebounds. Charlotte shot 45.9 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from beyond the arc, converting 19 of 52 attempts.