Conn Knueppel of the Hornets scored a historic goal against Cooper Flagg
It was a battle between two top rookies as The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Dallas Mavericks 123-121 in an exciting showdown in Texas. In the process, newbie Knuppel could set a rookie record while trying to hold on Cooper Flaggaccording to Charlotte Hornets PR.
“With 8 15:00 so far in tonight’s DAL game, Kon Knueppel set the franchise record for 15:00 in a single game, breaking the previous record set by five different players, including himself at No. 23, in 2025. Knueppel entered the top-10 for most 15:00 in a first season, wrote Charlo PR at the Hornet.
Knueppel led the Hornets with 34 points, shooting 10 of 16 from the floor, including 8 of 12 from the three-point line. In addition, he had four rebounds and three assists. On the other end, Flagg scored a career-high 49 points, which helped the Mavs keep him close. The The Hornets won despite Flagg’s successand that was a testament to staying the course.
Knuepel has been turning heads all season in his rookie season. He is currently third on the team in scoring, averaging 18.9 points per game. Knuppel is also shooting 48.6% from the floor, including 42.6% from the three-point line. He was a big reason for the Hornets’ five-game winning streak that began with a 124-97 victory over the Orlando Magic.
As his rookie season progresses, Knuepel will likely have more games like this while also drawing comparisons to Flagg. This was their first straight game in the NBA and it did not disappoint. The Hornets will play their next game on Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs. Also, their next showdown with the Mavs will be on March 3rd.
2026-01-30 16:17:00
