Kon Knueppel scored 26 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished eight assists — falling two assists short of a triple-double — as the Charlotte Hornets beat the New York Knicks 114-103 at Spectrum Center on Thursday night.
Five straight wins. Charlotte is 39-34 and has pulled into a tie with Miami for eighth in the Eastern Conference. The Hornets entered the night 10th.
Knueppel Makes History at 20
Knueppel's sixth three-pointer of the night pushed his season total to 253, making him the youngest player in NBA history to reach 250 in a single season. He is eight three-pointers from passing Kemba Walker's franchise single-season record. Nine games remain.
The stat line — 26 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists — was the most complete game of his rookie year. He ran the offense, attacked the glass, and made decisions that had nothing to do with his shot falling. This was on NBA TV, not ESPN. Most of the league wasn't watching.
Five Hornets in Double Figures
LaMelo Ball added 22 points. Brandon Miller had 21 and eight rebounds. Miles Bridges contributed 17, and Coby White — whose post-injury resurgence has given Charlotte's bench the scoring punch it lacked for months — added 17 off the bench.
Charlotte put five players in double figures against a Knicks team that entered the night on a seven-game winning streak. This wasn't Sacramento's eight-man roster. This was New York's full playoff rotation.
The Third Quarter Broke It Open
Charlotte outscored New York in a decisive third period. Grant Williams hit a three-pointer that put the Hornets ahead 94-76 entering the fourth, and the building knew it was over.
The Knicks Pushed Back — Bridges Ended It
New York made a run. Josh Hart knocked down three jumpers from the top of the key, cutting the lead to nine with 1:17 remaining. Then Miles Bridges grabbed his own miss and threw down a dunk with 40 seconds left. That was the game.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 26 points and 13 assists. OG Anunoby added 17. New York's seven-game streak is done. A win would have clinched their playoff berth.
What This Means for the Play-In Race
Charlotte jumped from 10th to a tie for 8th in a single night. The play-in math that looked like a long shot two weeks ago now reads like arithmetic. The Hornets are one game back of 7th-seeded Philadelphia, though Miami holds the head-to-head tiebreaker at 39-34.
Saturday: The Biggest Game of the Season
The 76ers come to Spectrum Center at 6 p.m. Saturday — the biggest Hornets home game since the 2016 playoff series against Miami. Joel Embiid returned Tuesday from a 13-game absence and scored 35. Paul George is nearing his return.
Charlotte has won five straight. The franchise has not made the playoffs in 10 years. Nine games left to change that.
For the full play-in picture, updated standings, and remaining schedule, see the Charlotte Hornets 2026 Play-In Tracker.
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