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The Charlotte Hornets took down one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference Wednesday night, dispatching the Celtics in blowout fashion on the road.
Charlotte led from start to finish and ultimately cruised to a 29-point victory.
As usual, the Hornets were able to shoot lights out from deep, knocking down 19 triples against the Celtics who entered the game ranked seventh in defensive rating.
Of Charlotte's 19 threes, LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel hit four each.
Ball finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists with no turnovers, while Knueppel led the way with a team-high 20 points.
Knueppel did so on 50% from the field and 50% from three-point range.
With the performance, Knueppel tied six-time NBA Champion Michael Jordan for the most 20 point games on 65% or higher true shooting as a rookie.
Jordan did so 26 times in his rookie campaign with the Chicago Bulls in the 1984-85 season. That year, Jordan averaged 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.4 steals.
Knueppel now will need just one such game to pass Jordan, with 19 games remaining for Charlotte on the season.
More importantly, the Hornets moved to 32-31 with the win, reaching above .500 for the first time since October when they began the year 2-1.
As a result, they've moved up to the ninth seed and trail the 76ers by two and a half games for sixth in the conference.
Knueppel and the Hornets will return to action Friday, squaring off against the Miami Heat who sit just above Charlotte in eighth place.
More NBA news:
- Kon Knueppel leads the league in this shocking stat since the All-Star break
- 76ers reveal concerning VJ Edgecombe injury news ahead of matchup vs. Jazz
- Spurs forward snaps incredible five-year streak vs. 76ers
- Hornets forward Brandon Miller weighs in on Rookie of the Year award race
- NBA awards rookies Dylan Harper and Kon Knueppel for February
- Suns make roster moves, add undrafted forward from Appalachian State
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