Rookie Kon Knueppel sets Hornets season 3-point record

CHARLOTTE, NC — Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel He walked into the postgame information convention and was greeted by a handful of tv cameras blocking his path to the rostrum when he abruptly jumped out head coach Charles Lee, who doused him with a bottle of water earlier than embracing his star rookie.

There was loads of causes for the Hornets to have a good time Thursday evening.

Knueppel made 4 3-pointers in Charlotte’s 127-107 win over the Phoenix Suns to set the Hornets’ franchise record for 3s in a season. Charlotte additionally took one other step towards probably internet hosting a play-in event sport.

Knueppel is a giant motive why.

He leads the league in 3s made with 261 and is in a battle with Dallas’ Cooper Flagg for NBA Rookie of the Year. Earlier this season Knueppel shattered the league rookie record for 3s in a season beforehand held by Sacramento’s Keegan Murray.

“I think maybe I’ve surpassed my expectations for myself a little bit,” Knueppel mentioned.

Knueppel wasn’t certain how his rookie season would go after he felt as if he did not play effectively within the offseason after being drafted No. 4 total by Duke. But he began to really feel comfy as soon as he bought to coaching camp and was named a gap evening starter.

“I felt like I had enough to help this team — and we got a lot of talented players,” Knueppel mentioned.

Knueppel wanted 4 3s coming into the sport to interrupt Kemba Walker’s franchise record of 260 set in 2018-19.

He bought the third late within the third quarter after which had two open appears to be like within the fourth, however missed each. Each time he noticed as much as shoot, the followers within the area rose to their toes in anticipation of him breaking the record — solely to set free a groan after he missed.

“You definitely feel it,” Knueppel mentioned of the group. “It makes the ones that go in real, real sweet, but it is also like pretty reassuring as a shooter when the ones you miss the crowd [lets out] an audible like ‘ooooh.’ That’s reassuring as a shooter that fans believe in that every shot you take is going in.”

The record-breaker got here on the finish of a wild offensive sequence with Grant Williams discovering Knueppel within the left nook, the place he swished a 3.

Also within the sport, the Suns’ Collin Gillespie set the team’s franchise record for 3-pointers in a season together with his 227th basket from lengthy distance, surpassing the mark of 226, set by Quentin Richardson (2004-05).