The Charlotte Hornets continued their surprising surge in the latter half of the 2026 NBA season, winning seven of their last eight games, with their latest victory coming in the form of a 114-103 knockout of the New York Knicks on Friday.
Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel continued his Rookie of the Year bid, notching a near triple-double of 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists, while franchise player LaMelo Ball added 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 dimes.
“Everybody’s blessed, of course we’re having fun… I was born for moments like this, I’ve been hooping all my life, second nature for real,” Ball said postgame.
Kon Knueppel Makes History as Hornets Extend Win Streak
Knueppel has continued to shoot the lights out in his debut campaign. After shattering the rookie record for threes in a season, his six threes against New York upped his total to the 250 mark, making him the only player under 22 to do so in a single season.
With the win, the Hornets also extended their winning streak to five games, which is currently the longest stretch in the Eastern Conference as of this writing. However, a tough final stretch awaits Charlotte, as they are set to face fellow conference powerhouses such as the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons.
The Hornets currently sit at a 39-34 record, which puts them in a three-way tie with the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat for the 8th spot. However, the door to a playoff spot still remains open, as the 5th and 10th seeds in the East are separated by a mere 2 games.
Brunson Drops Double-Double as Knicks Remain in Dogfight for Second Seed
With the season coming to a close in less than three weeks, the Knicks remain poised to climb one more spot in the standings, as they are currently just a game behind the Celtics for the second spot.
Jalen Brunson continues to spearhead the New York offense, dialing in 26 points and dishing 13 assists, powering all Knicks starters to score in double figures. However, it was the rebounding department that ultimately dealt them the loss, as they were outperformed by Charlotte, 43-24, on the boards.
The Hornets will look to make it six wins in a row against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, while the Knicks will look to bounce back against the reigning champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, on Monday.
