With clutch free throws and a career-best 34 points, Kon Knueppel carried the Charlotte Hornets to their first five-game winning streak since 2023 at the expense of the Cooper Flagg-led Mavericks.
Cooper Flagg may have claimed a personal victory, but it was Kon Knueppel and the Charlotte Hornets who ultimately won the war.
Knueppel’s clutch free throws, earned while being fouled by Flagg in the final moments, capped a career-high 34-point performance that anchored a dramatic 123-121 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, January 30 (PH time).
It marks Charlotte’s fifth consecutive victory and their longest winning streak since the 2022–23 season.
With the score tied at 121, Flagg’s pass was intercepted by Knueppel, who was quickly set up by Brandon Miller keeping the ball in bounds.
Knueppel drove to the basket and calmly sank both free throws after Flagg was whistled for the foul, giving the Hornets the edge as Flagg’s potential game-tying attempt over two defenders rimmed out.
Earlier in the game, Charlotte had built a 15-point lead, only to watch the Mavericks storm back in the fourth quarter and seize a brief 100-96 lead.
Miller finished with 24 points, LaMelo Ball contributed 23, and Miles Bridges added 17 to help seal the victory.
Despite the loss, Flagg set a new career high with 49 points, surpassing Cliff Robinson’s single-game scoring record 45 points in 1980 as a teenager.
He shot 20-of-29 from the field, including 23 points in the second half alone, and added 10 rebounds.
Dallas, meanwhile, dropped their third straight game and fell to 19-29.
Charlotte improved to 21-28 as they prepare to return home to host the San Antonio Spurs (32-15), while the Mavericks travel to Houston to face the Rockets (29-17).
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.