Kon Knueppel broke his silence on the Charlotte Hornets' stunning blowout win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night.
Knueppel has made noise as one of the best performing rookies in the early portion of the 2025-26 season. His ability to knock 3-pointers at a high clip has garnered him acclaim while fully securing a full-time spot in the starting lineup.
Knueppel proved himself to have had a big role in the upset win over the defending NBA champions. In 28 minutes of action, he finished with 23 points, five rebounds, five assists, and a steal. He shot 8-of-13 from the field, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, and 2-of-3 from the free-throw line.
The rookie star reflected on the win after the game. He acknowledged that he and the entire Charlotte squad can be elite on the offensive side of the ball, playing like they did against Oklahoma City as long as they emphasize consistency and solid teamwork.
“We were composed; we came in here like we belonged, and we gotta do that every night,” Knueppel said.
“We can be an elite offensive group; we play with the pass, and we play fast. That's what we've been doing for the past half-month, and we want to keep it going.”
🎙️ Kon Knueppel: “We were composed. We came in here like we belonged, and we gotta do that every night.”
“We can be an elite offensive group. We play with the pass, and we play fast. That's what we've been doing for the past half-month, and we want to keep it going.” pic.twitter.com/SbyBQEpzbl
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) January 6, 2026
How Kon Knueppel, Hornets played against Thunder
It was a remarkable road win for Kon Knueppel and the Hornets to earn, torching the Thunder in the 124-97 upset.
The game started out close as both teams were even at 33 apiece after the first quarter. However, Charlotte exploded with a 34-17 display in the second period, something that Oklahoma City never recovered from for the remainder of the night.
Six players scored in double-digits for Charlotte in the win, including Knueppel. Brandon Miller led the team with 28 points, six rebounds, two steals, two blocks, and one assist. He shot 8-of-16 overall, including 7-of-10 from downtown, and 5-of-5 from the charity stripe. Miles Bridges came next with 17 points and 11 rebounds, LaMelo Ball had 16 points and two assists, PJ Hall put up 13 points and five rebounds, while Collin Sexton provided 10 points.
Charlotte improved to a 13-23 record on the season, holding the 12th spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are 0.5 games above the Brooklyn Nets and three games above the Washington Wizards while trailing the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks by three games.
The Hornets will look forward to their next matchup, being at home. They host the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. ET.
