Kon Knueppel’s uncle worked the Michigan-Ohio State game Saturday. Perhaps that inspired the Charlotte Hornets rookie, who hit a game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds to force overtime in Charlotte’s 118-111 win over the Toronto Raptors.
Kole Knueppel was the referee in Ohio State’s 27-9 win over the Michigan Wolverines, the Buckeyes’ first win in the historic rivalry since 2019. While the elder Knueppel did find himself in the middle of some minor controversies, he and the crew erred on the side of not affecting the game. His nephew did not.
Kon Knueppel continues to hit clutch shots
The Hornets overcame a 12-point deficit with less than six minutes to go in regulation thanks to a 10-0 scoring run kicked off by Knueppel finding the red-hot Miles Bridges (35 points, 10 in OT) for a layup. They tied the game when Knueppel sank a leaning corner three with 10 seconds to go.
It’s not the first time this season the rookie has come through in the clutch. Two weeks ago, Knueppel made two game-tying three-pointers in the final 94 seconds to force overtime, in an eventual loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Bridges took over by shooting 4-for-4 in Saturday’s OT win, with Knueppel contributing two rebounds and passing that led to two Bridges dunks.