Jones Shines as Kings Fall Short to Hornets in Championship

Isaac Jones shines, but the Sacramento Kings fall 78-83 to Kon Knueppel and the Charlotte Hornets.

Mar 19, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Isaac Jones (3) looks over his shoulder after scoring a basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings had their chances, but fell short in the Summer League championship 78-83 to the Charlotte Hornets.

Sacramento gave it their best attempt, but ran into a physical and aggressive Hornets defense that shut down the Kings. Sacramento shot 36.5% from the field and 20.6% from beyond the arc on the night as they struggled to score.

They had a lot of shots fall short, which shows how hard they've been playing throughout the tournament and on the second night of a back-to-back.

But the same can be said for the Hornets, who also played yesterday. They didn't shoot lights out either, finishing with 39.7% from the field and 31% from deep. The Kings were able to stay in this game with their defense, and while they didn't pull out the win, used defense to spark their runs and keep it close.

The Kings come up short in the NBA Summer League final. Sacramento trailed by 18, but unable to hold-off Kon Knueppel (21 points) and his Charlotte Hornets. 83-78 the final.
Isaac Jones a game-high 24 points & 11 rebounds for Sac.

— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) July 21, 2025

They also stayed in the game thanks to Isaac Jones, who finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds, both of which were game-highs. On a night where nearly everyone shot poorly, he finished 10-of-17 (58.8%) from the field and made his only three.

That three just happened to be an answer to number four pick Kon Knueppel's dagger three to pull the game back within one. Even though the Kings weren't able to complete the comeback, it was a huge clutch shot from Jones to put a cap on his great night.

Knueppel's big game led the Hornets, as he finished with 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. He took a lot of shots to get to that mark, finishing 8-of-21 (38.1%) from the field, but he hit the shots when they mattered down the stretch.

A Summer League championship would have been nice, but it feels like we learned a lot from the six games that will have huge ramifications on the upcoming season.

Nique Clifford looked great but trailed off for the two final games. Maxime Raynaud had an exciting first half, but never looked quite comfortable after his return from his wrist injury. And Devin Carter had some exciting moments, but questions will continue on if he fits in the rotation when the regular season starts.

But Isaac Jones might be the biggest takeaway from Summer League for Sacramento. He's on the Kings main roster already next season, and Sacramento has a clear roster gap at the backup power forward spot.

Jones is certainly a different player than Keegan Murray, but he's shown throughout Summer League that he at least deserves a look at rotational minutes this season. He played both the four and the five throughout the tournament, but no matter where he was lined up, excelled when he got close to the basket.

That along with his hustle and athleticism fit right into the culture and identity that Scott Perry and the Kings are trying to build next year.

Now with Summer League coming to an end, all we can do is wait and see what moves Scott Perry makes next.