Make that five wins in a row now for the Charlotte Hornets, who remain one of the best teams in the NBA in 2026. Charlotte faced off against the New York Knicks on Thursday night in a crucial game for the Hornets, as the Eastern Conference standings are tighter than ever among seeds 6-10.

The Hornets and Knicks were trading baskets back and forth in the first half, that was until Charlotte went on a late second-quarter run, capped off by a Coby White fading mid-range jumper to give the Hornets a 10-point lead at the half.

The Hornets kept their lead comfortable for almost all of the second half, especially heading into the fourth quarter. The Knicks kept the game slightly competitive, around a 10-14-point deficit, but Charlotte ended the quarter on a 7-0 run, creating a comfortable 18-point lead.

The Knicks brought the game back to just a nine-point deficit, but it was too little too late for New York, as Miles Bridges capped off the game with an explosive right-hand dunk to send the Knicks off.

This is a huge win during a vital stretch of games for Charlotte. The Hornets are entering the final two games of a seven-game homestand, and they are 5-0 in this stretch, with wins over the Heat, Magic, and now the Knicks.

Where Charlotte Stands in the Eastern Conference

The Hornets are rising, recently moving from the 10th to the ninth seed. As of Thursday night, the No. 5 seed and the No. 10 seed are separated by just two games, meaning Charlotte is only two games down from fifth in the conference.

The Hornets have two games left for this homestand, and the next game is one of the most important of the season, facing off against the Philadelphia 76ers, who are one game above the Hornets in the standings, and two seeds ahead, sitting at seventh in the conference coming off a win against the tanking Utah Jazz.

If Charlotte can keep things rolling and get some help from the other teams in the 5-10 mix, then the play-in might end up in the rear-view mirror for the Hornets.

Who Charlotte Should Want to Play Most in the First Round

Obviously, the Hornets still have to handle business, but if Charlotte makes the playoffs, there are certainly some matchups that would be preferable to others. The Hornets getting up to fifth in the conference would likely mean a first-round matchup with the Cavs, which isn’t the most enticing. Cleveland has had Charlotte’s number this season, as the Hornets are 0-3 against Cleveland on the season. Two of the three losses were by double digits as well.

If the Hornets want to have a chance at a first-round upset, there are two matchups that would be enticing. The first would be one that just took place, against the Knicks. The Hornets are just 1-2 against the Knicks so far, but both losses were before 2026, before Charlotte made their big turnaround. Charlotte gave New York problems with their pace, elite three-point shooting, and dominant display of offensive rebounding in Thursday night's matchup

The second matchup that could cause chaos would be against the Pistons, which might sound crazy to say, since they’re the No. 1 seed, but there’s a path for Charlotte. Pistons superstar Cade Cunningham is currently out due to a collapsed lung injury. If the Pistons don’t have Cunningham or just have a clearly diminished version of him, then Charlotte can absolutely make things difficult for the Pistons.

With nine games to go, Charlotte has to keep this momentum going and at least secure the seventh or eighth seed so that, even if they lose that game, they have another shot against the winner of the No. 9 versus No. 10 matchup.