Game Recap: Hornets 127, Suns 107
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel walked into the postgame information convention and was greeted by a handful of tv cameras blocking his path to the rostrum when immediately out jumped head coach Charles Lee, who doused him with a bottle of water earlier than embracing his star rookie.
There had been loads of causes for the upstart Hornets to have fun Thursday evening.
Knueppel made 4 3-pointers in Charlotte’s 127-107 win over the Phoenix Suns to set the Hornets’ franchise record for 3s in a season. Charlotte additionally took one other step towards doubtlessly internet hosting a play-in match recreation.
Knueppel is an enormous motive why.
extra angles as a result of why not https://t.co/HKEzUzGjQX pic.twitter.com/gf8QeefVIG
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) April 3, 2026
He leads the league in 3s made with 261 and is in a battle with Dallas’ Cooper Flagg for NBA Rookie of the Year. Earlier this season, Knueppel shattered the league rookie record for 3s in a season beforehand held by Sacramento’s Keegan Murray.
“I think maybe I’ve surpassed my expectations for myself a little bit,” Knueppel mentioned.
Knueppel wasn’t certain how his rookie season would go after he felt as if he didn’t play effectively within the offseason after being drafted No. 4 total by Duke. But he began to really feel comfy as soon as he received to coaching camp and was named a gap evening starter.
“I felt like I had enough to help this team — and we got a lot of talented players,” Knueppel mentioned.
Knueppel wanted 4 3s coming into the sport to interrupt Kemba Walker’s franchise record of 260 set in 2018-19.
He received the third late within the third quarter after which had two open appears within the fourth, however missed each. Each time he noticed as much as shoot, the followers within the area rose to their ft in anticipation of him breaking the record — solely to set free a groan after he missed.
“You definitely feel it,” Knueppel mentioned of the gang. “It makes the ones that go in real, real sweet, but it is also like pretty reassuring as a shooter when the ones you miss the crowd (lets out) an audible like ‘ooooh.’ That’s reassuring as a shooter that fans believe in that every shot you take is going in.”
received him pic.twitter.com/wWzVlCjNLZ
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) April 3, 2026
The record-breaker got here on the finish of a wild offensive sequence with Grant Williams finding Knueppel in the left corner, the place he swished a 3.
Also within the recreation, the Suns’ Collin Gillespie set the Phoenix franchise record for 3-pointers in a season together with his 227th basket from lengthy distance, surpassing the mark of 226, set by Quentin Richardson (2004-05).
