The Charlotte Hornets held off a charging Atlanta Hawks to jump back into the win column with a 110 to 107 victory on Wednesday night at Spectrum Center.
The Hornets were without both Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabaté, who were suspended for 4 games following Monday’s chaotic third quarter fight that broke out against the Detroit Pistons.
“I thought Kalk [Ryan Kalkbrenner] did a really good job early on the glass, just getting a hand
on a couple of offensive rebounds coming off the rim. Grant [Williams] did a really good job, and
some of us were able to clean up them getting a hand on the ball,” Kon Knueppel said on teammates stepping up in the absence of Diabaté and Bridges. “I thought those guys in
particular stepped in and embraced that tonight.”
The Hornets won 10 of their last 11 games as the team heads into the All-Star break, something rookie Kon Knueppel credits to the team’s recent focus on the defensive end.
“The biggest reason is our change of mindset on the defensive end,” Knueppel explained. “I really think defensively, our attention to detail and our competitiveness on that end,” Knueppel said. “On the offensive end, trusting the pass, early pass-aheads in transition have really made our offense pretty efficient.”
Charles Lee’s team now has new life, and with that comes a new identity. “We come into every game as the hunters,” Knueppel explained.
“That flipped since the beginning of the season. We were building good habits, but now we come in expecting to win games. I think that’s what you need to be successful in this league because it’s really hard to win. The appreciation of how hard it is [to win] is something I think we have a good grasp on right now and what it takes.”
The Hornets will look to continue their recent success and make a push for the playoffs once the regular season resumes on February 19 when Charlotte plays host to Houston.
As for Kon, he will head to Los Angeles to participate in three events during NBA All-Star Weekend.
Look for Knueppel as he takes the court in the Rising Stars game, the 3-point contest, and the Shooting Stars competition.
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