Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel broke the NBA record for most 3-pointers made by a rookie in a single season, making his 207th on Thursday.<\/p>\n
He set the record late in the third quarter of a 133-109 win over the Indiana Pacers, taking a kickout pass from Sion James (also his college teammate at Duke last season). Knueppel then pump-faked Kam Jones and took a dribble to the left before stepping behind the line and drilling the historic shot.<\/p>\n
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The previous mark for most 3s hit by a rookie was by the Sacramento Kings’ Keegan Murray, set during the 2022-23 season when he knocked down 206.<\/p>\n
[Subscribe to Yahoo Sports NBA on YouTube<\/a>]<\/p>\n Knueppel tied Murray’s record late in the first half, stopping at the arc during a fast break to nail his fifth 3 of the game. He went 5-for-8 on 3-pointers in the first half, making his first four attempts.<\/p>\n The rookie star had an opportunity to break the record before halftime, but missed a contested turnaround from the wing at the buzzer.<\/p>\n Knueppel set the rookie 3-point mark with 22 games remaining in the regular season. Already three ahead of Murray (who played in 80 games as a rookie), he will likely put the record far out of reach. Both players are the only rookies to make 200 or more 3-pointers in a single season, topping the 187 Donovan Mitchell hit during the 2017-18 season.<\/p>\n Knueppel finished with 28 points in win, shooting 8-of-12 on 3-pointers and 10-for-17 from the floor. Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 33 points, making 6-of-11 3-point shots. LaMelo Ball added 20 with 4 rebounds and 8 assists. Moussa Diabate grabbed 11 boards.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The entire Hornets team may have been inspired by Knueppel, shooting 48% (22-of-46) as a team from behind the arc. Grant Williams went 3-of-4 on his 3-point attempts, finishing with 9 points as Charlotte improved its record to 29-31. That currently puts them tied for the Eastern Conference’s ninth spot<\/a> and in position for a play-in tournament berth.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s what elevates our whole culture when you have a guy that\u2019s that good, but that humble, no ego \u2014 it becomes contagious throughout your whole organization,\u201d Hornets coach Charles Lee said to CGTN Sports Scene, via the Associated Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n Indiana was led by Andrew Nembhard’s 20 points, followed by 19 off the bench from Micah Potter and 16 points from Jarace Walker. The Pacers dropped to 15-44, last in the East.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n [Get more Hornets news: Charlotte team feed<\/a>]<\/p>\n As could be expected for a rookie who’s made over 200 3-pointers, Knueppel has made a high percentage of his long-range attempts shooting at volume. He came into Thursday’s game making 43.6% of his 461 3-point shots and is now at 44.2% (sixth in the NBA<\/a>).<\/p>\n