Eleven more 3-pointers combined from backcourt men RJ Barrett and Reggie Bullock.

Countless more hustle pays by the nasty center tandem of Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson. And another second-half defensive gem by the Knicks, holding the Hornets to 31 points.

It all rolled out to a Lucky 7 as about 2,000 socially distanced Garden fans gave the club a standing ovation in the final minute.

The Knicks won their seventh straight Tuesday by posting a 109-97 victory over Charlotte, rallying from a six-point halftime deficit after an opening first half when their defense was asleep.

The Knicks awoke long enough to register their longest win streak since rolling off eight consecutive wins during a 2014 playoff push that fell short.

This playoff push is proceeding smoothly. They moved into fifth place at 32-27 — a half-game behind the Hawks for fourth place. Atlanta visits the Garden on Wednesday in what shapes up as a potential battle for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Barrett blitzed the Hornets in the third quarter with 18 points and finished with 24. After going 1 of 8 in the first half, Barrett, as is his custom, didn’t lose a shred of confidence and fired in a perfect 4-for-4 from 3-point range.

Derrick Rose had his second straight solid outing, scoring 18 points on 8 of 12 shooting.

Randle, the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, began a new week with 18 points, seven assists and 10 rebounds.

After going 13 of 19 from deep in the first half, the Hornets shot 1 of 9 in the third quarter as the Knicks tightened up. The Knicks began the second half on a 16-4 run in the opening 3:40.

The Knicks shot out of the gate like a thoroughbred at the outset, taking 12-3 and 17-8 leads, making four of their first five 3-pointers.

Then the Knicks couldn’t defend the 3-point line. The Knicks’ league-best 3-point defense got shredded in the first half, as the Hornets took a 66-60 lead at intermission.

Hornets point guard Terry Rozier, who certainly will be a person of interest in the trade market this summer, nailed two straight 3s in the final 30 seconds to give Charlotte the momentum.

The first quarter was stolen by second-year man P.J. Washington, a deserved second-team all-rookie selection last season. Washington racked up 17 first-quarter points, making everyone forget about the still-injured Gordon Hayward. Washington was 5 of 5 from 3-point range in the first period.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Marc Berman