Knueppel-led Hornets win 1st Summer League title

LAS VEGAS -- Kon Knueppel, the 4th prime successful this year's draft, scored 21 points and Charlotte held disconnected a Sacramento rally to bushed the Kings 83-78 connected Sunday for the Hornets' archetypal NBA Summer League title.

Ryan Kalkbrenner added 15 points and 3 different players each scored 11 for the Hornets, who ended their Summer League tally with a 6-0 record.

Isaac Jones had 24 points and 11 rebounds for Sacramento (5-1), and Devin Carter scored 13. Nique Clifford, drafted 24th, finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds. He entered the crippled averaging averaging 16.2 points and 6.2 rebounds.

The Kings mislaid for the archetypal clip successful 3 trips to the final. They won titles successful 2014 and 2021.

Knueppel continued his blistery play aft scoring 5 points successful his opener. He averaged 18.3 points implicit his last 4 games and was named the title crippled MVP. His 3-pointer with 31.1 seconds near gave the Hornets a 4-point lead.

"Like I said before, if you're going to travel here, you should win," Knueppel said. "So that's what we did."

The Hornets dominated early, starring by 36-18 successful the 2nd quarter. The Kings came back, and Jones doubly chopped the shortage to a constituent precocious -- a travel with 1:17 near and a 3-pointer with 20.3 seconds remaining.

But the Hornets closed retired the crippled astatine the escaped propulsion line, 3 players making 5-of-6.

"It's a title game," Charlotte Summer League manager Chris Jent said. "That's what everybody wants to spot anyway, truthful it works retired well. In bid to triumph a championship, you've got to play done adversity."

Hornets halfway James Banks III was ejected with 3:47 near successful the 3rd 4th aft picking up a flagrant-two foul for an elbow to Sacramento halfway Dylan Cardwell's face. Cardwell went down hard and remained connected the level during astir of the video review.