Lin made some nice plays tonight, but the above video pretty much sums it up. Just not really in control for the majority of the game.

I'll give him a pass for this one. It happens.

Just occurred to me that J.R. Smith could have helped in this game too. Knicks guards had a pretty bad night shooting the basketball. Landry Fields, Bill Walker, and Steve Novak combined to go 3-of-22 from the field.

Yikes.

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This is not the end of the world for the Knicks. They played a sloppy basketball game, but they were bound to come back down to earth sooner or later. You can't win 'em all, even if you do have the power of Linsanity at your back.

This felt like a game in which the Knicks really could have used Carmelo Anthony. He wouldn't have made a huge difference on defense, but the Knicks could have used another scorer late in the game. Say what you will about Melo, but the dude can score.

The true measure of how good Lin and the Knicks are will come on Sunday when they take on a hot Dallas Mavericks team. If they're humbled again, well, at least the seven-game win streak was fun while it lasted.

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On the other side, the Hornets didn't play a great ballgame, but they got some key contributions from all over.

Undrafted rookie Gustavo Ayon had himself a game, scoring 13 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Trevor Ariza led all scorers with 25 points and had eight rebounds. Chris Kaman had 12 points, Marco Belinelli had 17 and Greivis Vasquez had 15.

Give the Hornets some credit. They played harder than the Knicks for the majority of this game, and it paid off in a big way. They've now won three games in a row.

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Since you're bound to ask, I'll tell you how Jeremy Lin did in this game.

On the one hand, there was the good. Lin scored 26 points, dished out five assists and had four steals. That's a pretty good line.

On the other hand, there was the bad. Lin committed nine turnovers. Most of those came in the first half, but Lin was a major contributor to a sloppy overall effort from the Knicks. They committed 21 turnovers, leading to 28 Hornets points.

Ballgame. Stoudemire's three is off the mark, and it wouldn't have made a difference even if it had fallen. The Hornets have won this game by the final of 89-85.

Back with reaction in just a moment.

Knicks with the ball with three seconds on the clock. Down 89-85. Need a four-point play here.

89-85 Hornets with 6.7 seconds left. Officials reviewing a whacky inbounds play to see who touched the ball last before it went out of bounds.

You know who would have helped the Knicks in this game? Carmelo Anthony.

Just sayin'...

That'll pretty much do it. A couple missed three-point attempts, and the Hornets grab the loose ball. They take a timeout with 15.4 seconds on the clock.

Madison Square Garden is rather quiet at the moment. The crowd is slowly filing out.

Two free throws at the other end have made it 89-82. The Knicks' win streak will be over in 15...14...13...

Knicks choose to foul Marco Belinelli on the inbounds. He makes both free throws to make it 87-82 with 25 seconds to play.

This one's not shaping up too well for the Knicks.

Lin gets himself to the line and knocks down a pair of free throws to make it 85-82. It's a one-possession game with 27 seconds to play.

Suffice it to say the Knicks need a big stop now.

There goes the momentum. Chris Kaman just found Gustavo Ayon cutting to the basket for an easy two. That makes it 84-80 with less than a minute to play.

Ayon now has 13 points and 10 rebounds. 

Ayon-fire.

There's Linsanity.

Lin just picked Greivis Vasquez's pocket and then got himself to the line at the other end. He knocked down both free throws to make it 82-80 with a minute to play.

Don't go anywhere.

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Damning numbers: Knicks are 4-of-21 from three and 14-of-24 from the line. They've committed 21 turnovers and the Hornets have turned those in 28 points.

Nevertheless, the Knicks are still within striking distance at 82-78. There's 1:15 left on the clock.

If the Knicks lose this game, Linsanity is officially over and done with.

Relax, I'm joking.

The Lin magic just isn't working tonight. Lin has missed his last two shot attempts, one a tough layup attempt at the end of a drive and the next a three-pointer that would have tied the game.

It's now 80-75 Hornets with two minutes to play. The Knicks are running out of time.

Paul McCartney is at Madison Square Garden tonight. At least the Knicks have that going for them.

Unless he's rooting for the Hornets, of course.

And there's a double-double for Gustavo Ayon. He has 11 points and 10 rebounds after converting a tough three-point play.

He was an undrafted free agent too, you know.

It's 76-71 Hornets with five minutes to play.

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The Knicks are on a 12-5 run and have cut the lead to 73-70 with less than six to play. Lin is checking in for the first time in the quarter.

In other words, here we go...

New directive. Instead of bummer headlines, I want happy-happy-joy-joy headlines for the event that the Knicks win this game in thrilling fashion.

Go! 

Knicks really picking up their defensive intensity. They're not about to let the Hornets stretch their lead any wider.

Developing storyline: Lin has yet to check in in the fourth quarter. D'Antoni is keeping him on the bench.

This would be another thing that makes you go "Hmmm..."

73-68 Hornets with 7:00 to go.

Big difference in this game: Knicks are 4-of-17 from distance. Hornets are 7-of-10.

The Knicks are making a run, though. A jumper by Stoudemire has made it 71-66 with 8:21 to play in the fourth.

It's not over yet, folks. 

Lin on the bench to start the fourth quarter. Sitting next to Mike Bibby, looking pretty distraught. 

Not Bibby. Lin's the one who looks distraught. Bibby's just chilling.

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Third quarter is over. Lin tried a tough three at the buzzer, but it wouldn't go. Hornets will take a 68-58 lead into the fourth.

That was not a good quarter for the Knicks. They went into the half with plenty of momentum, and they promptly gave it all back to the Hornets. They weathered the storm.

Lin really picked up his scoring in the third, scoring a total of eight points to run his total for the game to 18. He only has five assists, though, and he's stuck on nine turnovers.

From the look of things, this is either going to be the end of Linsanity, or the next thrilling chapter.

Another big three-pointer for Lin. He now has 18 points and is closing in on a double-double.

As in, points and turnovers. In case you're just joining us, Lin has nine TOs.

Yeah...

66-58 Hornets with less than a minute to play.

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It's 63-51 Hornets with 3:19 to go in the third quarter. 

The Hornets now have four guys in double figures: Ariza, Kaman, Vasquez and Belinelli. They're not playing great basketball. They're just playing better basketball than the Knicks.

Hey, at least Stoudemire is playing a good game. He has 18 points and six rebounds.

Random thought: the story after this game will be how badly the Knicks need Carmelo Anthony. Just a hunch.

Another guy having a good game is Gustavo Ayon. He has eight points and six rebounds, and just fought through some contact to make a nice reverse layup.

He missed the free throw, though, presumably due to some kind of Hornets curse.