The Charlotte Hornets demolished the Boston Celtics 118-89 on Wednesday at TD Garden. In the process, the Hornets continued to rise and according to Basket News, Kon Knueppel has officially made NBA history by joining Michael Jordan in an elite club after scoring 20 points.
"Such a performance allowed Knueppel to tie Michael Jordan for the most games in NBA history with at least 20 points and at least 65% true shooting," Basket News wrote on its website.
It was the sixth consecutive win for the Hornets, who are now 32–31, and in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. Knueppel has been the star of the show, averaging 19.2 points per game while shooting 48.8% from the field, including 43.6% from the triple. On Wednesday, he had 20 points on 7 of 14 shooting, including 4 of 8 from beyond the arc.
Knueppel recently made history with three-point transformations and Charlotte is proving to be a force to be reckoned with. Along with Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball, these three have given the Hornets momentum and helped improve the team's standing after the Hornets went just 19-63 last season. Knueppel has achieved a shooting mark that only Jordan has achieved in his rookie season.
The Hornets took Knueppel with the fourth overall pick before the start of the 2025–26 season. Since then, he has battled his former college roommate Cooper Flagg in the battle for the Rookie of the Year award. Although that race isn't scheduled, there's something else Knueppel can accomplish that Flagg can't.
Currently, the Hornets are striving for a playoff spot. If they finish in the top six, they will automatically get a berth. If they finish anywhere between seventh and 10th, they will qualify for the play-in place. The Hornets have not made the playoffs since the 2015–16 season. Their next game will be on Friday against the Miami Heat, the team directly ahead of them in the standings.
