LaMelo Ball scored 20 of his 30 points in the first half and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Sacramento Kings 117-109 on Wednesday night.Miles Bridges had 26 points as Charlotte won at Sacramento for the first time in more than two years. Standout rookie Kon Knueppel added 24 points and Brandon Miller scored 20.DeMar DeRozan scored 39 points for the Kings and moved past Hall of Famer Tim Duncan into 18th place on the NBA’s career scoring list with 26,505 points. Duncan, a 15-time All-Star, had 26,496 points in 19 seasons.Ball shot 10 of 22 and made six 3-pointers. He had six rebounds and five assists.The Hornets trailed much of the first half but began taking control in the third quarter. Bridges’ alley-oop pass to Miller gave Charlotte an 88-83 lead, and White’s three-point play early in the fourth made it 99-88.After the Kings got within 108-100 with three minutes remaining, Bridges made a floater. Ball then hit his sixth 3-pointer of the night and added a pair of free throws to help Charlotte close it out.Nique Clifford had 18 points and seven assists for the Kings, who were attempting to win their third straight for the first time since early January.Precious Achiuwa added 14 points and eight rebounds for Sacramento and Daeqwon Plowden scored 13 points.The Kings played without Russell Westbrook (quad bruise).Ball and Bridges combined for six 3-pointers and 31 points in the first half but Charlotte committed eight turnovers and trailed 62-57 at the break.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
LaMelo Ball scored 20 of his 30 points in the first half and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Sacramento Kings 117-109 on Wednesday night.
Miles Bridges had 26 points as Charlotte won at Sacramento for the first time in more than two years. Standout rookie Kon Knueppel added 24 points and Brandon Miller scored 20.
DeMar DeRozan scored 39 points for the Kings and moved past Hall of Famer Tim Duncan into 18th place on the NBA’s career scoring list with 26,505 points. Duncan, a 15-time All-Star, had 26,496 points in 19 seasons.
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Kings head coach Doug Christie on Sacramento’s 117-109 loss to the Hornets, what went wrong in the 4th quarter, DeMar DeRozan’s season scoring-high and Nique Clifford continuing to impress. pic.twitter.com/f6jnmaxhV8
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) March 12, 2026
Ball shot 10 of 22 and made six 3-pointers. He had six rebounds and five assists.
The Hornets trailed much of the first half but began taking control in the third quarter. Bridges’ alley-oop pass to Miller gave Charlotte an 88-83 lead, and White’s three-point play early in the fourth made it 99-88.
After the Kings got within 108-100 with three minutes remaining, Bridges made a floater. Ball then hit his sixth 3-pointer of the night and added a pair of free throws to help Charlotte close it out.
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You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Following the Kings 117-109 loss to the Hornets, DeMar DeRozan discusses his season-high 39-point night, missing last night’s game due to illness, passing Tim Duncan on the NBA’s scoring list & his interactions with fans throughout his career. pic.twitter.com/gqAgQURlwk
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) March 12, 2026
Nique Clifford had 18 points and seven assists for the Kings, who were attempting to win their third straight for the first time since early January.
Precious Achiuwa added 14 points and eight rebounds for Sacramento and Daeqwon Plowden scored 13 points.
The Kings played without Russell Westbrook (quad bruise).
Ball and Bridges combined for six 3-pointers and 31 points in the first half but Charlotte committed eight turnovers and trailed 62-57 at the break.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Kings rookie Nique Clifford talks about Wednesday’s loss to the Hornets, the season-high scoring performance from DeMar DeRozan, Charlotte turning around their season and Sacramento playing extremely shorthanded. pic.twitter.com/t9loSlZhtc
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) March 12, 2026
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel