Charlotte shot 19 of 39 from three-point range and picked up a significant victory over Orlando 120-105 on Friday night, but also could have suffered a significant injury to its prized rookie.
Charlotte rookie Kon Knueppel left the game late in the first half and did not return after twisting his right ankle while going down to collect a rebound.
Knueppel’s injury overshadowed a big night for Charlotte, which has now won four of its last six games. Friday was the Hornets’ first win in Orlando since November 14, 2022, and the Magic are just the third team this season beaten by Charlotte who currently has a winning record (Toronto twice and Cleveland).
LaMelo Ball led seven Hornets in double figures with 22 points while adding five assists. Miles Bridges scored 16, Brandon Miller added 15, Tidjane Salaun scored 14, Collin Sexton scored 13 and Moussa Diabaté scored 10.
Anthony Black had 24 points to lead Orlando. Wendell Carter Jr. scored 16, Desmond Bane contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds, Jase Richardson scored 14 off the bench and Paolo Banchero scored 13.
Knueppel, a leading candidate for NBA Rookie of the Year, stalked Bane toward the hoop and lunged for a rebound. Coming down, his right foot landed on Diabete’s right foot and Knueppel’s ankle was badly twisted with 15.9 seconds left in the half.
After being on the floor for a few minutes, Knueppel, who had scored 16 points in just 15 minutes, was helped back to the Hornets locker room.
Knueppel helped the Hornets take a double-digit lead in the first quarter. He sank all four of his 3-point attempts as Charlotte took a 38-28 lead. They never hung out after that.
Neither team shot well in the second half. A Bell free throw gave Charlotte a 49-34 lead with 8:06 left in the half, but Orlando began to chip away. The Magic pulled within 55-44 after a Tristan da Silva three with 3:11 left, then both teams went more than two minutes without a point.
Charlotte had another big push in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 24 points. The Hornets were 8 of 11 on 3-pointers in the third, including two treys from Brandon Miller and three from Collin Sexton off the bench.
The Hornets cruised into fourth place as Orlando never managed to take the lead to single digits. With a Saturday night game at home against Denver, the Magic replaced three players with 3:12 remaining to signal their submission.
–Field level media
