Charlotte Hornets rookie Con Knupper had his fifth 30-point performance of the season on Friday and made some history in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In the 118-113 loss at Spectrum Center, Knuupel finished with 33 points, six rebounds, two assists and one steal. The Hornets have a record of 26 wins and 31 losses this season. He made 11 of 20 shots in 37 minutes, including 7 three-pointers.
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The fourth overall pick overcame a slow start after scoring just three points in the first quarter. He scored 15 points in the second quarter alone, helping the Hornets come back from a 14-point deficit and stay competitive the rest of the game.
“I never had to worry too much about him finding his own offense or having to cater to him,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said. “That’s one of his strengths as a player. He adjusts well to other people and works with other people. He looks for opportunities. He doesn’t force too much. He finds a couple shots or a couple offensive rebounds that make him work harder… I just like that he keeps at it and always tries to make the right play.”
Knuppel played 56 games for the Hornets this season, averaging 19.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, while shooting 43.3% from three-point range. He leads all players in the league in three-pointers (193) and ranks first among rookies in points scored (1,069).
The 20-year-old surpassed Donovan Mitchell and ranks second on the all-time single-season rookie three-point list. With this performance, Knuppel became the third rookie in history to score at least 30 points and 7 three-pointers in multiple games.
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Knuupel is on pace to break Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray’s single-season rookie record for three-pointers made in 2022-23 (206). He has established himself as one of the best prospects in recent years and is grateful for his success.
“It’s cool,” Knuppel said. “It’s really cool. Kudos to my teammates and coaches for giving me a lot of good opportunities to get good shots. And then just keep hanging on and sticking to my skills and my confidence in my shot. It seems like a lot of them are participating right now.”
This article originally appeared on The Rookie Wire: Hornets News: Kon Knueppel leads NBA with three points after latest effort