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Recap: Hornets extend win streak to 5, Knueppel makes history to lead Thursday's action

Check out the best news and moments from Thursday, including Kon Knueppel making history in Charlotte's fifth straight win.

NBA.com Staff

Kon Knueppel becomes the only player age-22 or younger in NBA history to sink 250 made 3-pointers in a single season. Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)

Check out the best of Thursday’s three-game slate with the NBA.com live blog, featuring all of the meaningful moments, performances, observations, news, notes and highlights.

What we know after Thursday night’s games:

  • Jalen Duren became the first player in Pistons franchise history to record at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists while shooting 80% or better from the field during their 129-108 win over New Orleans.
  • Kon Knueppel is the only player age-22 or younger in NBA history to make 250 3-pointers in a single season. He led the Hornets with 26 points (6 3PM), 11 rebounds and 8 assists to help Charlotte win their fifth straight while snapping New York’s seven-game win streak in the process.
  • Orlando snapped their six-game losing streak with a close 121-117 victory against the Kings. Paolo Banchero (30 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast) tallied his third straight outing with at least 30 points.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 9:59 ET

Thursday’s final scores:

DeMar DeRozan is your player of the night with 33 points (12-24 FG, 9-10 FT), 6 rebounds and 11 assists with zero turnovers in 38 minutes.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 10:21 ET

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MARCH 26, 2026 // 9:55 ET

Pistons land Pelicans, win 129-108

Jalen Duren turns in a masterful performance to give Detroit a 21-point victory after a tough overtime loss to Atlanta on Wednesday. The Pistons’ big man tallies 30 points (10-12 FG, 10-12 FT), 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in 31 minutes.

Kevin Huerter pours in a Pistons’ career-high 22 points (9-14 FG) with 4 made 3s, and Daniss Jenkins continues to play well in Cade Cunningham’s (lung) absence, posting 19 points (6-12 FG, 5-7 3PM), 2 rebounds, 9 assists and one steal in 33 minutes.

Zion Williamson leads six Pels in double figures scoring with 21 points (8-13 FG, 5-9 FT), adding 6 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals and one block in 31 minutes.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 9:47 ET

Magic snap 6-game losing streak

Orlando earns the 121-117 win over Sacramento behind Paolo Banchero (30 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast) and Desmond Bane (23 pts, 3 3PM, 6 ast). Jalen Suggs finishes with 8 points, 4 boards, 4 assists and one block, including a clutch triple in the closing minutes of the contest.

DeMar DeRozan drops a game-high 33 points on 12-for-24 shooting with 6 rebounds, 11 assists and zero turnovers in 38 minutes. Daeqwon Plowden chips in 23 points and 6 made 3s in 35 minutes off the Kings’ bench.

Banchero talks about the importance of locking in and getting back in the win column. The Magic superstar tallies his third straight game of 30-plus points.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 9:37 ET

Hornets win 5th straight

Big time performances from Kon Knueppel (26 pts, 11 reb, 8 ast), LaMelo Ball (22 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast) and Brandon Miller (21 pts, 8 reb, 3 ast) power the Hornets to their fifth consecutive victory by defeating New York 114-103. The loss also snaps a seven-game win streak for the Knicks.

Charlotte, who ranks first in the NBA in made 3-pointers (16.2 3PM), connects on 16 of their 41 attempts (39%) from long distance. Miles Bridges (17 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast) corrects one of his misses with an angry slam to close the door on the Knicks for good.

Jalen Brunson finishes with a team-high 26 points (10-23 FG, 0-6 3PM, 6-6 FT) and 13 assists to lead five Knicks starters in double figures scoring. Josh Hart adds 16 points, 7 boards, 4 dimes and 5 steals in 39 minutes.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 9:19 ET

Magic trying to end skid

Paolo Banchero shows off the vision with a beautiful dime to Jamal Cain. Orlando looks to close out the Kings, as they lead 111-105 with 3:17 remaining.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 9:16 ET

Knicks win streak in danger

Charlotte is rolling and lead the Knicks 104-88 with 6:13 remaining in the fourth quarter on NBA TV. Kon Knueppel (22 pts, 8 reb, 8 ast) and Brandon Miller (21 pts, 8 reb, 3 ast) are cooking for the red-hot Hornets.

Jalen Brunson is the high man for New York with 23 points and 12 assists in 34 minutes.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 9:13 ET

P5 getting to his spots

Paolo Banchero leads Orlando with 26 points (10-21 FG, 5-6 FT), 8 rebounds and 6 assists in 32 minutes, and the Magic have a 105-95 advantage over the Kings with 5:17 to go in the contest.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 9:09 ET

Pistons closing in on 53rd W

Jalen Duren is doing it all for Detroit tonight, amassing 30 points (10-12 FG, 10-12 FT), 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in 31 minutes. The Pistons have a 116-100 lead over New Orleans with 5:29 left in the game.

Zion Williamson has a team-high 21 points on 8-for-13 shooting with 6 boards, 2 dimes, 2 steals and one block.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 8:58 ET

4Q underway on NBA TV!

The Hornets stay hot in the third, outscoring the Knicks 29-21 in the frame to take a 94-76 advantage heading to the fourth.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 8:55 ET

Paolo in his office

Paolo Banchero (22 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast) and DeMar DeRozan (27 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast) are going bucket for bucket as Orlando takes a 93-90 lead into the fourth quarter.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 8:44 ET

Duren the playmaker 👀

Jalen Duren is going off in just 23 minutes so far, posting 22 points (7-9 FG, 8-10 FT), 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks and one steal. Detroit is separating themselves from the Pelicans in the third quarter, taking an 85-72 lead with 4:38 remaining in the period.

Zion Williamson continues to make his hulking presence felt in the paint, tallying a team-high 17 points on 6-for-10 shooting with 5 boards, one assist, one steal and one block.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 8:37 ET

History for Knueppel 🏆

Charlotte’s phenomenal rookie Kon Knueppel has 14 points with 4 made 3s, 5 rebound and 7 assists in 23 minutes tonight. Congratulations to the sharpshooter!

MARCH 26, 2026 // 8:15 ET

Halftime scores:

MARCH 26, 2026 // 8:27 ET

Magic hold steady after 2Q

Orlando has a 65-59 lead over the Kings after 24 minutes of action. Both teams are shooting better than 50% from the field, while the Magic have a slight edge in 3-pointers made (8-5).

Paolo Banchero (18 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast) and Tristan da Silva (11 pts) continue to carry the load for Orlando on offense as they look to snap a six-game losing streak.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 8:21 ET

Pistons in control at the break

Detroit takes a 65-56 edge over New Orleans into halftime behind Jalen Duren (17 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk), Daniss Jenkins (11 pts, 4 ast, 1 stl) and Kevin Huerter (10 pts, 2 3PM).

Zion Williamson drops a team-high 13 points (4-7 FG, 5-7 FT) with 3 rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block, and Dejounte Murray adds 10 points, 6 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals in 18 minutes.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 8:12 ET

Hornets up 10 at half

Charlotte holds a 65-55 advantage over the visiting Knicks at halftime, fueled by five Hornets already in double figures scoring. Brandon Miller (13 pts, 4 reb), Miles Bridges (13 pts, 4 reb), LaMelo Ball (12 pts, 5 ast), Coby White (12 pts) and Kon Knueppel (11 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast) have Buzz City rocking as they attempt to win their fifth straight.

Jalen Brunson remains the game’s leading scorer with 17 points (6-10 FG) and 8 assists in 19 minutes, while OG Anunoby has 14 points on 4-for-6 shooting from behind the arc.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 8:01 ET

Not in Moussa’s house

Moussa Diabaté (2 reb, 2 stl, 1 blk) erases the layup attempt with some force to keep Charlotte ahead of the Knicks, 58-52, with 2:13 to play before halftime.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 7:57 ET

Cain punishes the rim

Jamal Cain (5 pts, 3 reb) finishes with some flash on the fast break, helping Orlando hold a 50-47 edge over Sacramento midway through the second. Paolo Banchero (12 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast) and Tristan da Silva (9 pts) lead the way for the Magic as they look to end a six-game losing streak.

DeMar DeRozan has a game-high 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting with 2 rebounds and 3 assists, while rookie Maxime Raynaud tallies 6 points, 4 boards, 2 dimes and one steal.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 7:47 ET

Zion on a mission

Zion Williamson (9 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl) and Saddiq Bey (10 pts, 2 3PM) are doing work for the Pelicans, who trail the Pistons 44-40 with 9:08 left in the first half.

Jalen Duren (9 pts, 2 ast, 1 blk) and Daniss Jenkins (11 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast) are the engines behind Detroit’s lead thus far.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 7:41 ET

Brunson burner is HOT

The Knicks trailed 24-14 midway through the first, but a 22-14 close to the quarter has them down just two, 38-36. Jalen Brunson is scorching with a game-high 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting and 4 assists.

Brandon Miller (10 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast) and LaMelo Ball (10 pts, 3 ast) have the Hornets buzzing through 12 minutes of action.

Both teams are getting it done on offense, as Charlotte shoots 70% from the field and New York finishes the quarter at 63.6%.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 7:28 ET

Pels-Pistons underway in Detroit

Saddiq Bey has 8 points and 2 made 3s to lead the way for New Orleans, while Kevin Huerter has 5 points to pace the Pistons. The Pelicans lead Detroit 17-14 with 5:08 to go in the first frame.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 7:25 ET

Precious with the moves

Precious Achiuwa goes spinning and has 6 points and 3 rebounds early for Sacramento, but the Kings trail the Magic 21-18 with just under 5 minutes remaining in the first quarter.

MARCH 26, 2026 // 7:20 ET

Starting off with a bang

Charlotte leads New York 14-10 with 8:11 remaining in the opening quarter on NBA TV!

MARCH 26, 2026 // 6:00 ET

Welcome to a three-game Thursday in the Association!

Jalen Duren dropped 26 points and 14 rebounds in Detroit’s 130-129 OT loss to Atlanta last night. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Two of the hottest teams in the league meet tonight when LaMelo Ball and the Hornets welcome Jalen Brunson and the Knicks to Buzz City (7 ET, NBA TV). Charlotte has won four straight and 22 of their last 28 games dating back to Jan. 22, while New York has strung together seven consecutive victories and are 13-4 over their last 17 contests.

Our John Schuhmann has more details behind Charlotte’s historic turnaround.

On League Pass, the New Orleans Pelicans visit the East-leading Detroit Pistons for an interconference showdown (7 ET), and the Orlando Magic host the Sacramento Kings in hopes of snapping their season-long six-game losing streak (7 ET).

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