Kon Knueppel didn’t wait long to make a huge impression in a Charlotte Hornets uniform. The No. 4 overall pick capped off a strong Summer League run by scoring 21 points and knocking down a dagger three-pointer in the final minute of Sunday’s 83-78 win over the Sacramento Kings in the championship game.
Charlotte rides rookie’s clutch shot to 83-78 title win over Kings
That deep jumper stretched Charlotte’s lead to four, just before Sacramento’s Isaac Jones answered with a three of his own. But the Hornets held on, with the Kings forced to foul in the closing seconds and never getting another look at the basket.
Knueppel took home MVP honors for the title game after leading five Hornets in double figures. The rookie also played through a head injury suffered earlier in the week, sporting a bandage on his forehead.
Isaac Jones, who helped lead the Kings’ G League affiliate to a championship last season, finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds. The Kings clawed back from an 18-point deficit but couldn’t quite complete the comeback.
Charlotte dominated the early part of the game, building a double-digit lead in the first quarter. But Sacramento’s late second-quarter push made things tight going into halftime. The Hornets pulled away again to start the fourth but went cold just long enough to let the Kings back in.
MORE: Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel stitches together plenty of reasons for fans to be excited
This marks Charlotte’s first ever NBA Summer League championship. The team went 4-0 in group play and edged Oklahoma City in the semifinals on Saturday. Jaylen Sims starred in that win while Knueppel was limited.
Ryan Kalkbrenner was strong for Charlotte as he tallied 15 points Sunday. He now projects as a key piece of the rotation after the team moved starting center Mark Williams.
A great start for the former Duke Blue Devils star. Now, some time off before training camp gets underway in Charlotte.
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