Hornets throw out new starting five as Moussa Diabate has been ruled out vs. Bucks

A look at the first five for the Bugs in Milwaukee.

Dec 3, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) warms up prior to a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Charlotte Hornets are getting set to take on the Milwaukee Bucks for the fourth and final time this season, hoping to earn a split.

Moments ago, Hornets head coach Charles Lee submitted his starting lineup for tonight's contest.

The first five for the Hive

G LaMelo Ball

LaMelo is on a tear, hitting 13/26 (50%) of his three-point attempts over his last two outings and shooting a scorching 47% from beyond the arc since the start of December.

G Kon Knueppel

Knueppel showed zero rust in his return to the floor after missing one game to a rolled ankle, posting a 20-point night on 7/11 shooting, including a 4/7 performance from downtown. He was recently named the Eastern Conference's Rookie of the Month after averaging 20.8 points in December, while shooting 50% from the field and 46% from three. Let's not forget, the last time Kon played in his hometown of Milwaukee, he went off for 32 points.

G Brandon Miller

B-Mill has posted back-to-back 30-point performances, yet hasn't found his rhythm from range, which could be a scary thought for opposing teams. If that shot goes down tonight, the Hornets will have a chance of springing the upset.

F Miles Bridges

For now, it looks like the Hornets have dodged a couple of bullets on the injury front with both Kon Knueppel and Miles Bridges missing limited time due to their respective ankle injuries. Bridges had three points in just seven minutes before going down in that game against Milwaukee at the end of December.

C PJ Hall

Diabate has been downgraded to out with a wrist injury, leaving Charlotte with an extremely thin rotation at center. Recently added PJ Hall will get his first career start in his place. In the loss to Golden State, Hall scored nine points and pulled down seven rebounds.

The Hornets and Bucks will throw the ball up in the air at approximately 8:10 p.m. ET. As always, you can tune into the action on FanDuel Sports Network Southeast, where Eric Collins and Dell Curry will be on the call.

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