Knicks use balanced attack to beat Hornets as win streak hits four

Less than one week earlier, the Knicks had allowed an undermanned Charlotte squad to hang around the entire game before Tom Thibodeau’s team escaped with a one-point victory.

The Hornets played them tough for two quarters despite missing several top players again Thursday night, but the Knicks pulled away with a 38-16 third-quarter eruption to cruise to their fourth straight win, 125-101, at the Garden.

“I think we put ourselves in a hole in the first quarter and then cut it to two obviously right before [halftime]. And then the beginning of the second half is how we should have started the game,” Jalen Brunson said. “We came out with a lot of energy defensively, got stops and easy baskets and that’s that.”

The All-Star point guard notably left the bench and headed for the locker room with 2:39 left in the third quarter.

Brunson, who landed hard after a loose ball collision with center Nick Richards under the basket, returned to the bench midway through the fourth quarter wearing a wrap around his midsection, but he did not re-enter the game.

Thibodeau noted afterward that Brunson was “available” to return, but said he was dealing with a back issue.

“I feel amazing,” said Brunson, who scored 19 of his 24 points in the first half. “I’ll see how I feel [Friday]. And that’s it.”

OG Anunoby netted 15 of his 25 points — and two key blocked shots on the perimeter on the same possession — during the third-quarter rally.

Mikal Bridges had 19 points and seven assists in a season-high 47 minutes, and NBA rebounding leader Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 27 points with 16 boards for the Knicks, who next will play at home again Saturday night against the Pistons.

“OG was unbelievable. He and Mikal, they sort of got us going, their energy,” Thibodeau said. “Josh [Hart] as well. KAT got going, and Jalen was Jalen.

“I thought they did a really good job. They set the tone in the second half, but we’ve got to be a 48-minute team, so they gave themselves stuff that they can look at.”

Brandon Miller scored 26 to lead the Hornets, who were still without leading scorer LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, among others.

“I think we just came out, we executed better [in the second half],” Towns said. “We made shots more difficult for them and we got turnovers and the turnovers, we translated that to offense.”

The Knicks trailed by 13 in the first quarter, but they closed the period on a 10-0 spurt (12-0 overall), with Brunson following a Towns 3-pointer with his fourth triple for 19 points in the quarter and a two-point deficit through 12 minutes.

Bridges’ layup and Hart’s long-distance bucket pulled the Knicks even at 35-all early in the second, but the Hornets netted the next seven points, including a 3-pointer by Knicks castoff DaQuan Jeffries.

Two dunks by Anunoby and a late corner 3 by Hart — who netted 14 in the session — helped the Knicks carry a 65-62 lead into intermission.

Anunoby added 10 more points and Towns rocked the rim for a thunderous one-handed dunk during a 21-6 spurt as the Knicks opened up an 18-point bulge by the midpoint of the third.

Anunoby also swatted two Charlotte jumpers into the stands later in the period, earning chants of “OG” from the home crowd.

“I love it. I love it every time,” Anunoby said. “Even on the road in Denver I loved it. Here I love it. I love it everywhere. It’s awesome. I definitely try to get a steal, get a block, get a deflection. Something to get us to open the court.

“I think [defense] brings energy. The fans bring it and then the team feeds off of it.”