NEW YORK (AP) — Julius Randle had 25 points and 20 rebounds, RJ Barrett scored 16 points, and the New York Knicks advanced to the quarterfinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament with a 115-91 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night.
The Knicks missed their chance to win Group B when the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Miami Heat to finish unbeaten in pool play. But the Knicks took the wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference by tiebreaker because of their point differential in the preliminary round.
The Knicks will visit the Bucks, the East's No. 1 seed, either Monday or Tuesday.
Reserves Immanuel Quickley scored 23 points and Josh Hart chipped in 17 as the New York bench outscored Charlotte’s 50-35.
Brandon Miller, the second overall pick in the draft, scored 18 points and fellow first-rounder Mark Williams had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Hornets, who were without star point guard LaMelo Ball, who was out with a right ankle injury that could sideline him for a number of games.
New York led by as many as 16 points late in the second quarter and had its lead trimmed down to 56-55 with 8:12 to play in the third quarter after the Hornets went on a 11-2 run, capped by five points from Miles Bridges.
It was the closest the Hornets would get as the Knicks outscored them 24-11 the rest of the period to head into the fourth quarter with an 80-66 advantage.
Randle and Barrett combined for 28 points to lead the Knicks to a 53-44 lead at halftime.
UP NEXT
Hornets: Remain in New York to play the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.
Knicks: Host the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night.
