Kon Knueppel details his whirlwind month, which saw him win Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month and appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Knueppel admits to being nervous about the late-night appearance but calls being on the show a "cool experience." He stresses the need for the team to stick to their habits and "get better as a collective unit." By DIAMOND VENCES
Is it possible to win twice in one game?
For the Charlotte Hornets, that certainly seems to be the case.
Despite another injury scare — as in seeing Brandon Miller head to the locker room early in Sunday’s second half — the Hornets not only beat one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference in a gutsy 119-111 overtime victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers, they wound up retaining the services of Miller instead of losing him to injury.
“It was a huge growth moment for us,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said. “Responding, we felt like we gave up too many offensive rebounds, especially as they kind of got back into the game. And then I thought we had multiple people hitting and crashing, and trying to come up with every 50-50-ball and defensive rebound that we could.
“And to see Brandon with 13 rebounds just shows he can give it to us on both ends. He’s an offensive great, but he can be an elite two-way player. And it becomes contagious when you see one of our best players doing that.”
Miller drained the game-tying 3-pointer from 32 feet away with 4.7 seconds left in regulation, giving the Hornets another opportunity to pull out a game they led by as many as 12, which included a nine-point, fourth-quarter edge.
“I think it was drawn up as a quick two, a pitch action to me.,” Miller said. “I saw the defender go down. With a wipe-open three, just trusted my gut, trusted the process all year and made a wide open shot.”
This came after Miller initially exited with 8:25 left in the third quarter, appearing to possibly aggravate the left shoulder injury he initially picked up in the second game of the season that sidelined him for all but 10 games in 2025-26. He got banged around a bit prior to checking out and heading to the locker room trailed by head team trainer Pete Elliott.
Brandon Miller scored 25 points in the Charlotte Hornets’ OT win over Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon. Mitchell Leff Getty Images
However, a crisis was averted when Miller checked back in with 3:52 remaining in the third quarter and swished a 3-pointer seconds later. Any further questions about his shoulder were answered when he snatched an offensive rebound with 2:41 left in the quarter, leading to an extra possession for the Hornets.
Miller’s 25 points were the most he’s posted since netting 27 in the Hornets’ win over Chicago on Nov. 28. He’s registered at least 20 points four times this season.
“I loved the competitive response that we had as a group,” Lee said. “The ability for everybody to be ready for their opportunity ... Just everyone’s open-mindedness. ... You get happy when you know how much effort they put into a game. And to beat a good team on the road feels good.”
Here are some key takeaways from the Hornets’ impressive win:
Solid Sion James
Already making his 14th start, Sion James was more than an adequate replacement for LaMelo Ball, who missed his third consecutive game while dealing with an ankle injury.
After going with KJ Simpson at point at the outset of the previous two games, Lee went with James against the Cavaliers and he came out hot. James drained his first three attempts from the floor — all beyond the 3-point arc — in helping the Hornets grab an advantage as large as nine points in the first quarter. That gap ballooned to 10 in the second quarter.
James finished with nine points, seven rebounds and three assists in37 minutes. The Hornets were a plus-12 with the rookie on the court running things.
Kon Knueppel’s defensive improvement
Defense isn’t something Kon Knueppel was known for during his time with Duke, but he’s doing what he can to continually improve on that side of the ball.
And Lee has taken notice. He’s seen defensive growth in several areas.
“I think on the ball his habits have gotten so much better,” Lee said. “When you go back and watch the game, in pick-and-roll situations he’s closing the gap. He’s understanding the importance of not getting rejected. He’s just making people feel him a lot sooner than when they get three feet into the paint and that’s your first point of contact.
“By that point, the offensive player has too much of a comfort. I think he really understands the importance of the early impact you can have on ball-handlers.”
Nothing new on Ball, Collin Sexton
Lee had little to say on the status of Ball (left ankle bone bruise) and Colin Sexton (left quad strain), both sidelined for several games.
The health of Sexton, in particular, was a topic in Cleveland as he previously played there, having been drafted by the Cavaliers in 2018. Sexton was traded to the Utah Jazz 2022 as part of the package to acquire Donovan Mitchell.
“Not a huge update from last time I did media on Friday,” Lee said. “(Saturday) was a travel day and today (was) an afternoon game. So, I think when we get back home, we have like three days, four days until we play Atlanta. And at that point, I think we’ll find out a little bit more about where they are at when we get back home, and they can be evaluated, get back on court and go from there, then potentially have some practice time.”
Up next
Following a nearly four-day span in between games thanks to a built-in break courtesy of NBA Cup scheduling, Charlotte hosts the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday at Spectrum Center. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.