Kon Knuepel amazes with 27 points in the 1st round of the 3-point competition
The The Charlotte Hornets already know they have one of the best scorers in the NBA at rookie point guard Knuppel could. The rest of the league saw that firsthand in the 2026 3-point contest.
Knuppel is the only rookie in the 2026 shootout and performed well in the first round. A twenty year old gave 27 points in his first 3-point contest to take an early lead and punch his ticket to the final round.
Kon Knueppel started the 1st round of the 3-PT competition with a strong 27 points 🔥pic.twitter.com/iftC0I2uU7 https://t.co/g8kEVi35Vv
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 14, 2026
Knuepel’s 27 points is bested only by Devin Booker, who led the way with 30 points in the first round. Damian Lillard also scored 27 points to join the final three. Lillard won the contest with a championship-round 29 points.
Knueppel entered the All-Star break hitting 43.1 percent of his three-point attempts. He’s been consistent from deep all season, connecting on over 40 percent of his shots from long range in all but one month this season.
Knuppel’s 183 3-pointers before the All-Star break are second in the league, two behind Donovan Mitchell. The rookie had a great start to February before the break, averaging 4.6 3-pointers per game over his last five outings.
Had Knueppel won the contest, he would have been the first rookie in NBA history to do so. Stephen Curry, Kyle Cover, Dennis Scott and Lillard participated as rookies, but no one won.
Despite the rookie curse, Knuepel was the favorite to win the competition. Even with a strong performance in the second round, he likely still would have fallen to Lillard, who won his third crown in the 3-point contest.
2026-02-14 22:53:00
