Hornets' Kon Knueppel scores 16 points in first quarter but leaves win over Magic with right ankle injury

Kon Knueppel went off before he went out on Friday night. The rookie guard erupted for 16 points in the first quarter of the Charlotte Hornets’ 120-105 win over the Orlando Magic (17-14), but the No. 4 overall draft pick suffered a right ankle injury late in the first half that sidelined him the rest of the game.

Head coach Charles Lee said afterward that it sounded like the X-rays on Knueppel’s ankle were negative, and that the Hornets (11-20) will get more information about Knueppel when the team returns home, as reported by The Charlotte Observer.

With less than 30 seconds to go in the second quarter, Knueppel appeared to roll his ankle after landing on the shoe of Magic guard Desmond Bane on a contest in the paint.

While Knueppel was quiet in the second quarter before his injury, he turned heads with his first-quarter outburst, which saw him make all four of his 3-point attempts.

The Duke product has enjoyed record-breaking success from beyond the arc this season. Earlier this week, during a 139-132 defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the 20-year-old Knueppel became the fastest player in NBA history to make 100 3s.

He needed only 29 games to do it, surpassing Lauri Markkanen, who reached the milestone in 41 games with the Chicago Bulls in 2017-18.

Knueppel came into Friday’s matchup in Orlando averaging 19.4 points per game on 47.4% shooting, with a 41.9% clip from long range.

Like college teammate Cooper Flagg, Knueppel has swiftly translated his skill set to the NBA.

Knueppel’s injury is the latest the Hornets have taken on this season. They were notably down two of their top-three centers Friday, as both Ryan Kalkbrenner and Mason Plumlee weren’t available.

Still, Charlotte found a way to win on the road. Seven different Hornets scored in double figures. LaMelo Ball led the charge with 22 points and splashed four 3s, albeit with six turnovers attached to his stat line. Collin Sexton, in just his second game back from a quad injury, chipped in 13 points off the bench.

The Hornets have been playing better basketball of late, but losing Knueppel for any significant amount of time could stunt that progress.

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