Behind 34 points from Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets win fifth straight despite Flagg's 49 point night

Watching the number one and number two Rookie of the Year candidates go head-to-head was always going to be cinema.

It's even better when just last year they were teammates.

After going first and fourth overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel would matchup for the first time in the 2025-26 season. The two have continually been neck-and-neck for the Rookie of the Year award, with a new leader seemingly every single week.

The Charlotte Hornets with Knueppel were looking to win five straight games for the first time since February 13-27, 2023. Meanwhile, Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks were looking to get back on track after losing two straight games.

The matchup lived up to the expectations.

Knueppel got the first punch, scoring 12 first quarter points. Of course, Coop had a quick response, and in nine second quarter minutes he recorded 23 points on 8/9 shooting. Headed into halftime, Kon had 19 and Flagg had 25.

Then things got cold, or well, they should have.

The Mavericks would be retiring former first overall pick Mark Aguirre's number on Thursday evening, a celebration that would happen at halftime.

The jersey retirement lasted for 40 minutes, but the stars did not stay cold whatsoever.

Knueppel and Flagg's battles continued into the second half, all the way down to the final buzzer. A Cooper Flagg three with 33 seconds to go was able to tie the ballgame at 121. Miles Bridges missed a layup, but Flagg turned the ball over, and Knueppel stole it away to hit the two game winning free throws.

In the end, the Hornets have now won five straight games for the first time in three years, and their star rookie finished with a career-high 34 points on eight made threes. On the other end, Flagg recorded 49 points, the most ever by a teenager in NBA history.

Not much else can be said about the Hornets right now, who have done everything right as of lately. They are 10-6 since 2026 began, with their starting lineup going 11-1 when they all play together.

Playoff basketball is not far out of reach...

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