The Charlotte Hornets overcame the Atlanta Hawks 133-126 on Thursday at the Spectrum Center, fueled by a historic first half from LaMelo Ball and impressive scoring from Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller.
Ball returned from a right ankle injury to score 28 points, dishing out 13 assists and hitting eight 3-pointers on 10 attempts, including seven in the first half as Charlotte matched the franchise record with 18 threes in 24 minutes.
Knueppel also poured in 28 points, connecting on six triples, while Miller added 26 points on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. The trio combined for 82 of Charlotte’s 133 points, powering the Hornets to back-to-back wins for the second time this season.
Atlanta’s Trae Young returned from a knee injury but was limited to eight points and 10 assists in 20 minutes. Jalen Johnson nearly posted a triple-double with 43 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 28 points.
Charlotte set the tone early, outscoring Atlanta 37-32 in the first quarter and extending the lead to 80-69 by halftime. The Hornets maintained control in the third quarter, adding a 27-point frame, before holding off a late Hawks surge in the fourth.
The Hornets shot 54% overall and 49% from deep, just shy of the franchise record, while Atlanta converted 52% of field goals and 30% of 3s, struggling to contain Charlotte’s perimeter firepower. Charlotte also outrebounded Atlanta 37-35 and forced 14 turnovers, converting them into 19 points.
The Hornets improve to 9-18 and will visit Detroit on Saturday, while the Hawks drop to 15-13 and host San Antonio on Friday.
