CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Cody Zeller called it a roller-coaster ride of emotions, and it was all that and more.

In a bizarre final minute, Zeller went from goat to hero to near goat again before the Charlotte Hornets held on for a 95-93 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.

Zeller missed two free throws with 28.5 seconds left and the score tied 93-93. However, he gave the Hornets the lead by sinking a layup with 0.4 seconds remaining.

The basket turned out to be the game-winner after officials ruled that a 3-pointer by Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis came after the buzzer. Zeller allowed Porzingis to shoot uncontested.

"It's just a relief to win," Zeller said. "To miss those two free throws and then make the shot, and then I thought I gave it away at the end. ... It was a good win for us."

The Hornets (4-4) climbed to the .500 mark for the first time this season after an 0-3 start. It was their second victory in two nights, as they won at Minnesota on Tuesday.

"I think we're an exciting team to watch," said Zeller, a backup forward in his third season. "Hopefully we can have more highs than lows here for a while and get a few things worked out. I think the sky's the limit for us."

Guard Nicolas Batum had his best game yet as a Hornet, leading the way with a season-high 24 points and five rebounds. Guards Jeremy Lin and Jeremy Lamb came off the bench to score 17 and 14, respectively, and Zeller finished with 12.

Forward Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 29 points, including 15 in the third quarter when New York pulled out to a 12-point lead. Guard Jose Calderon scored 13, guard Arron Afflalo 12 in his Knicks regular-season debut, and Porzingis contributed 10 points and 15 rebounds.

Zeller's two missed free throws in the last minute came on a night when he shot just 8-for-15 from the line -- and the team was 17-for-28. New York sank five of seven foul shots.

The Knicks had a chance to take the lead after Zeller's misses, but Anthony badly missed a rushed jumper from the corner with 3.7 seconds left.

The Hornets inbounded from the side, but the ball was deflected out of bounds under the basket with 2.2 seconds left. Then on the second inbounds, center Spencer Hawes found Zeller cutting on a backdoor play, and Zeller finished to make it 95-93 with 0.4 seconds showing.

"Cody made a great finish, but Spencer Hawes made the play because he used a good pass fake and there were options for him on either side," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "I think who's inbounding the ball right there is a big deal, and he made a good play."

Then the Hornets held their breath after Porzingis received New York's inbounds beyond the top of the key, turned and drained the 3-pointer. It was initially ruled good, giving the Knicks the win, but then officials viewed replays and ruled that the shot came too late.

"That's the way it goes in this league," Knicks coach Derek Fisher said. "One night the ball bounces your way and you get a favorable call, and the next night it goes the other way. You want to try to not put yourself in that position by making good decisions in the first, second and third quarters. People oftentimes focus on the fourth quarter and the finish, but a lot of times it's the first through the third quarters that make the difference."

The Knicks (4-5) had a two-game winning streak snapped. They won three of their previous four road games.

NOTES: Knicks G Arron Afflalo was back after missing the first eight games of the season with a strained hamstring. He started and played 28 minutes, finishing with 12 points and six rebounds. ... Both teams were playing on the second night of back-to-backs. The Knicks won at Toronto 111-109 Tuesday, while the Hornets won at Minnesota 104-95. ... Hornets F P.J. Hairston returned after playing only seven minutes at Minnesota because of migraine headaches. He scored five points in 26 minutes Wednesday. ... The Hornets came into the game committing fewer fouls than any other team in the NBA. They were called for only nine fouls Wednesday night while the Knicks committed 24. ... The Hornets' bench combined for 45 points. The reserve came into the game averaging 42.4 points collectively, which ranked third in the league. ... The Hornets play the Bulls in Chicago on Friday. ... The Knicks return home to host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.