Kon Knueppel scores career-high 30 in Hornets’ loss to Heat

Mack Baltes

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Kon Knueppel scores career-high 30 in Hornets’ loss to Heat image

The Charlotte Hornets entered Friday night’s matchup against the Miami Heat looking to regroup after a narrow loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. But with a roster severely depleted by injuries, Charlotte faced long odds. The Hornets were without LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Josh Green and Grant Williams, leaving head coach Charles Lee with limited options against a Miami team that defeated Charlotte by 27 points in their first meeting this season.

Those absences, however, created an opportunity for rookie Kon Knueppel, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, to showcase his scoring ability. Knueppel delivered the best performance of his young career, posting a career-high 30 points, including five 3-pointers, while shooting 9-for-23 from the field. He added eight rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal, showing the kind of all-around production Charlotte envisioned when selecting him near the top of the draft.

While the efficiency wasn’t ideal, Knueppel’s confidence and willingness to shoulder a heavy offensive load stood out. With several key scorers sidelined, he has quickly become one of Charlotte’s primary options, an experience that should accelerate both his development and the growth of Charles Lee’s rookie-heavy rotation.

Another first-year standout for the Hornets, center Ryan Kalkbrenner, continued his strong play. The 2025 rookie contributed 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting, five rebounds and four blocks. Kalkbrenner currently ranks second in the NBA in total blocks and blocks per game, trailing only Victor Wembanyama, the early Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner.

Now 3–6, Charlotte continues to balance youth development with the pursuit of wins. The Hornets will have the weekend off before returning home Monday to face the Los Angeles Lakers in hopes of bouncing back.

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Staff Writer