Kon Knueppel scored a career-high 34 points, including two clutch free throws with 4.1 seconds left, to give the Charlotte Hornets a 123-121 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday at American Airlines Center.
Duke teammate Cooper Flagg had a historic night for Dallas, scoring 49 points to break the NBA record for points in a game by a teenager, previously held by Cliff Robinson’s 45 points in 1980.
Flagg added 10 rebounds and set career highs with 20 field goals on 29 attempts, but Knueppel’s late steal and drive proved decisive as the game ended before overtime.
Knueppel made eight 3-pointers, setting a Hornets rookie record, while Brandon Miller scored 23 points and LaMelo Ball added 22 points with six triples to support Charlotte’s fifth consecutive win.
The Mavericks were paced by Flagg’s 49 points, Max Christie’s 13, and Klay Thompson’s 16 off the bench, but Dallas fell short despite a furious comeback in the final minutes.
Charlotte controlled the pace in the fourth quarter, with Knueppel converting critical free throws after Flagg fouled him as he drove with the score tied. Flagg’s last-second attempt hit the back of the rim, ending Dallas’ hopes of forcing overtime.
The Hornets swept a road back-to-back and have won five straight for the first time since February 2023, while the Mavericks lost their third straight home game after a four-game winning streak.
Charlotte improves to 21-28 with the victory and will host San Antonio on Saturday, while Dallas drops to 19-29 and travels to Houston for the next matchup.
