NBA: KON KNUEPPEL SETS ROOKIE 3-POINT RECORD AS HORNETS ROLL PACERS

Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) celebrates a made basket in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Kon Knueppel set the NBA single-season rookie record for 3-pointers and Brandon Miller matched a season high with 33 points, fueling the Charlotte Hornets to a 133-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday in Indianapolis.

Knueppel highlighted his 28-point performance by matching his own franchise rookie record with eight 3-pointers, boosting his season total to 209 -- three more than Keegan Murray's mark in 2022-23.

Knueppel was the fourth overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft by the Hornets, who have 22 games remaining on their regular-season schedule.

Miller, who scored 19 points in the third quarter, made 11 of 19 shots from the floor for the game and 6 of 11 from 3-point range. His point total on Thursday matched his output on New Year's Eve, set in Charlotte's 132-125 setback to the Golden State Warriors.

LaMelo Ball collected 20 points and eight assists and Moussa Diabate contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Hornets, who extended their franchise-best road winning streak to nine games.

Charlotte, which has won three in a row overall and 13 of its last 16 games, shot a robust 55.8% from the floor (48 of 86) and 47.8% from 3-point range (22 of 46). The Hornets also held a decisive 46-37 advantage in rebounds.

Indiana's Andrew Nembhard contributed 20 points and seven assists and Micah Potter added 19 points off the bench.

Jarace Walker added 16 points for the free-falling Pacers, who have dropped five in a row and nine of their last 11 games.

Indiana played without Pascal Siakam (left wrist sprain) and Aaron Nesmith (sprained right ankle).

The Pacers claimed a 34-31 lead after the first quarter before the Hornets responded with a dominant display in the second. Grant Williams sank a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions at one point before Knueppel drained his fifth 3-pointer to cap the scoring and give the Hornets a 67-46 advantage at halftime.

Knueppel etched his name into the record book by using a brilliant pump fake before calmly sinking a 3-pointer late in the third quarter to push Charlotte's lead to 103-77. He capped the Hornets' 40-point quarter with a turnaround jumper with 1.7 seconds to play.

Knueppel added his seventh and eighth 3-pointers early in the fourth as Charlotte coasted to victory.

—Field Level Media/Reuters

THE KINGS ELIMINATE THE WARRIORS FROM PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT WITH 118-94 WIN

Domantas Sabonis. AP Photo 

 SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The chants of “Light the Beam!” started midway through the fourth quarter as the Sacramento Kings kept piling on the Golden State Warriors.

A year after having their season ended by their neighbors, the Kings dealt the Warriors a bit of payback in emphatic fashion with a victory that might have signaled the end of a dynasty.

Keegan Murray scored 32 points, De'Aaron Fox added 24 and the Kings stayed alive in the play-in tournament, eliminating the Warriors with a 118-94 victory on Tuesday night.

“We knew what was on the line,” Fox said. “This was just another obstacle in our way. We have to get over this hump. Obviously, losing to this team last year and obviously facing this team now, it’s like, of course we have to face this team.”

Sacramento advanced to play at New Orleans on Friday night with a chance to return to the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference after snapping an NBA-record 16-year playoff drought last season.

The Kings avenged a Game 7 loss at home to Golden State in last year's first round by playing cleaner and being quicker to loose balls against the older Warriors in what was one of the most consequential wins for the franchise in two decades.

The loss kept Golden State out of the playoffs for the third time in the past five seasons, including two eliminations in the play-in tournament. The Warriors committed 16 turnovers, gave up 15 offensive rebounds and way too many open 3-pointers, looking nothing like the dynastic team that won four titles from 2015-22.

“I was a sophomore in high school watching them win championships,” Fox said. “We’ve been watching this team for a long time. If it is the end, it is what it is. I’m I’m glad we’re able to beat this team at this at this moment but, they definitely had a hell of a run.”

Klay Thompson missed all 10 shots from the field in what could have been his final game with the Warriors as he heads to unrestricted free agency this summer and a potential breakup of the championship trio of Thompson, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

“We need Klay back. I know he had a tough night tonight,” coach Steve Kerr said. “I know I speak for everyone in the organization, we want him back. Obviously there's business at hand and that has to be addressed. ... But what Klay has meant to this franchise, as good as he is, we definitely want him back.”

With Thompson struggling, Curry didn't get nearly enough help. Curry finished with 22 points but was hounded for much of the game by Keon Ellis.

The undrafted Ellis, who was on a two-way contract until February, added 15 points to go with his strong defense. Harrison Barnes scored 17 and Domantas Sabonis had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Sacramento.

“For the most part, they just took it to us the whole game,” Curry said. “There’s really no way around it.”

The meeting between the Northern California rivals separated by less than 100 miles was a rematch of last year's series won by Golden State. Curry scored 50 points in the seventh game.

The crowd was loud from the start even if the energy didn't quite reach the level of last year's matchup, when Sacramento fans celebrated the end of the record-long playoff drought.

Murray hit four 3-pointers in the first quarter and the Kings built their lead to 16 points in the second quarter before the Warriors rallied behind their bench to cut the deficit to 54-50 at the half.

Golden State got within one early in the third quarter before Sacramento responded with a 19-5 run keyed by a pair of 3-pointers from Ellis and more big shots from Murray to build the lead back to 15 points. The Kings were never threatened after that.

“The first play was for me and we just kind of kept going to that early on in the game,” Murray said. “When you’re shot is falling, especially when mine is falling, they always seem to find me.”

UP NEXT

Kings: Sacramento went 0-5 in the regular season against New Orleans and hasn't gone winless in six or more games against the same opponent in a season since going 0-8 against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1983-84 regular season and playoffs.

- JOSH DUBOW

NBA ROUNDUP: CELTICS MAKE HISTORY AT HOME, DOWN WOLVES AT OT

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 Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 45 points, including 12 in overtime, to help the Boston Celtics improve their home record to 18-0 by beating the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves 127-120 on Wednesday.

Jaylen Brown added 35 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, who set a franchise record for consecutive home victories at the start of a season, originally set by the 1957-58 team. Minnesota hasn't won a game in Boston since the 2004-05 season.

Tatum gave the Celtics a 122-120 lead on a layup with 1:04 left in OT and increased the lead to five by making a 3-pointer with 51 seconds remaining. He sank two free throws with 12.7 seconds left to finalize the scoring.

Anthony Edwards tossed in 29 points for Minnesota, which received 25 points and 13 rebounds from Karl-Anthony Towns. Naz Reid had 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Spurs 130, Pistons 108

Victor Wembanyama recorded the second-fastest triple-double in NBA history and San Antonio rolled past host Detroit.

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Wembanyama racked up 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in just 21 minutes for his first NBA triple-double. Russell Westbrook compiled a triple-double in 20 minutes in 2014. Keldon Johnson added 17 points and Devin Vassell had 16 as eight Spurs scored in double figures.

The Pistons dropped to 3-35 while losing their sixth straight. They have lost 34 of their past 35 games. Detroit was playing for the second time without top scorer Cade Cunningham, who has a strained left knee.