Before the Charlotte Hornets' nail-biter win over the Dallas Mavericks, Kon Knueppel knew Cooper Flagg would be a problem for them. That's exactly what happened, as the Mavs rookie exploded for a career-high 49 points.
Knueppel was naturally asked about his first face-off at the professional level with his former Duke University teammate. He said about his good friend, "It'll be fun to compete against him. Obviously, he's a great player. And so I think it's fun to compete against the best players, and that's who he is. So, it should be a good challenge for us tonight."
Quite a challenge, Flagg indeed turned out to be. Fortunately, the Hornets came out on top for their fifth straight win.
Battle of the top rookies
The opening quarter of the first Hornets-Mavs tiff this season featured the Kon Knueppel show, resulting in another strong start for the visiting team. The swingman hit 4-5, all from three, to score 12 in the opening frame. He and Brandon Miller, who put up 10 points, outscored Dallas.
However, Charlotte's 33-20 lead after the first frame quickly dissipated, as Flagg recorded 23 points on 8-9 shooting in the second period. At halftime, the team hung onto a 59-58 margin and needed to come up with a defensive scheme against the Mavs wunderkind. None worked, though, as he had 24 points in the second half.
The good news for the Hornets was that LaMelo Ball came alive after the break. The star point guard had 17 of his 22 markers in the final two quarters.
Knueppel also finished with 34 points, and while his scoring output was not as gaudy as that of his Blue Devil buddy, he did sink eight 3-pointers, breaking the franchise rookie record previously set by current Mav P.J. Washington and falling one shy of tying the most threes made by a first-year pro.
Interestingly, the last scoring possession of the game came after Knueppel successfully read and deflected Flagg's pass. Following an impressive save by another Duke rook, Sion James, Knueppel drew a foul on Flagg and hit the succeeding free throws to give the Hornets a 123-121 lead. Flagg then missed a desperation jumper that would have forced overtime.
So, while the No. 1 draft pick prevailed in his personal matchup with Knueppel, the Hornets secured the more important victory. They proved that having a squad with plenty of contributors can be more advantageous than a one-man team.
While Knueppel led them in scoring, others also offered valuable contributions. To wit, Ball continued to show his playmaking prowess with nine assists, Miller extended his streak of logging 20 or more points to nine, and Miles Bridges, who recorded 17 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, defended Flagg in the final possession.
It's certainly exciting times at the Hive, as the club has now shown the ability to pull off the win despite an amazing individual performance by an opponent.