The Knicks trailed early against the Charlotte Hornets but were able to regain the lead and were never satisfied with a convincing 125-101 win at MSG.

Here are the takeaways…

– As mentioned, New York didn’t look good in the first six minutes of the game and the defense allowed the Hornets to start the game 4 of 5 from the field and take an 11-4 lead in front of the head coach Tom Thibodeau decided to take a break. A 10-0 run in Charlotte, punctuated by a Josh Green A putback dunk gave the Hornets a 12-point lead, and they led by 13 at the half of the quarter Brandon Milleris an emphatic slam.

Miller had a strong opening quarter, taking advantage of the Knicks’ defensive weakness by scoring 16 points, including three made three-pointers.

– But six minutes into the quarter, the switch was flipped for New York’s offense, led by Jalen Brunson. The point guard caught fire from distance, going 4-for-4 from distance and finishing the quarter with 19 points. Thanks to a 23-12 run, including a 10-0 run in the final two minutes of the quarter, the Knicks entered the second quarter trailing by just two points.

-While it was the Brunson show in the first quarter, he took a step backstage Josh Hart who lit up the field in the second quarter and was just as hot starting in the third quarter. Hart had 14 points in the quarter and finished the game with 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists per game after recording a triple-double against the Orlando Magic.

-Hart wasn’t the only one who shined in the second quarter, however Mikal Bridges And OG Anunoby also impressed. Bridges’ layup (assisted by Anunoby) with 4:07 left in the half gave the Knicks their first lead since the score was 2-0 at the start of the game. Bridges also played all 24 minutes of the first half and 47 minutes of the game, extending his league lead this season.

Meanwhile, Anunoby was all over the court and had two steals that led to points that fired up the home crowd and gave New York a 65-62 halftime lead.

– The Knicks, smelling blood, took complete control in the third quarter, outscoring Charlotte 38-16 and turning the game into a rout. They stayed good from a distance, played 5-on-6 from downtown and finished the game with a hit rate of 54.5 percent from three-point range.

–Precious Achiuwa made his season debut after missing the first 21 games with a hamstring injury. He played 12 minutes and scored two points with four rebounds and one assist.

-The only other substitute to score was Miles McBride (10 points, six assists), although Thibodeau emptied his bench in the final two minutes when the game was out of reach.

–Karl Anthony cities recorded a double-double with a game-high 27 points and 16 rebounds.

Game MVP: The Starting Five

It’s hard to pick a single player as the game’s MVP when all of the starters shined in that game.

Highlights

What’s next?

The Knicks host the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night, completing a four-game homestand at Madison Square Garden. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m