Final Score: Knicks 96, Hornets 93

Well! The Knicks ran some pretty ugly offense down the stretch, and they benefited at least momentarily from one horrendous call, but they won and I like it when the Knicks win.

A game that began with brilliant passing and shooting and some of the most splendid pick-and-roll defense I've ever seen devolved into a lot of unfamiliar bad habits. A double-digit lead unraveled because of sloppy pick-and-roll defense and poor rim protection from flimsy defensive lineups. The ball moved pretty continuously until the final minute or two, but people who weren't Carmelo Anthony couldn't find or convert good looks.

But yo, some great stretches, a couple breaks, a couple stops, 20,000 points and counting for Melo, and a win over a very feisty team is a fantastic night for a team so early in its building process. 2-1! More wins than losses! Crazy!

Recap coming up much later.