Knueppel and Ball finished 1-2 in the NBA in 3s. Now they hope to get Hornets to the playoffs

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kon Knueppel and LaMelo Ball have something in common with the Splash Brothers.

The backcourt duo of the Hornets are the first teammates to finish 1-2 in the NBA in 3-pointers since Golden State guards Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Now they’re hoping to help Charlotte snap a 10-year playoff drought, the longest in league history.

After shattering the NBA rookie record for 3s in a season, Knueppel went on to lead the league with 273 while shooting 42.5% from beyond the arc.

Ball was right behind with 272 made on 36.8% shooting.

“I think it’s pretty cool — they must have a great coach that allows them to shoot that many 3s,” quipped Charlotte coach Charles Lee.

All kidding aside, the Hornets finally seem to have found an identity on offense under Lee and seem headed in the right direction after nearly a decade of floundering near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

You can bet the 3s will be flying Tuesday night when the Hornets host the Miami Heat in the 9 vs. 10 NBA play-in tournament game — the first postseason home game for Charlotte in a decade.

To reach an actual playoff series for the first time since 2015-16, the Hornets will need to beat the Heat and then defeat the loser of the 7-8 matchup between Philadelphia and Orlando.

Knueppel has been the shot in the arm the Hornets franchise needed.

He was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month four times and leads all first-year players with 36 20-point games. He passed six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan for the NBA rookie record for most games with 20-plus points on 65% true shooting with 27.

“Kon is like my brother for real, and I love playing with him," Ball said. “He’s such a great shooter it makes our whole team better the way we play off each other.”

They're different type of players, Ball and Knueppel.

Ball loves to create separation with a step-back 3 and his shot is highly unorthodox, often shooting off one foot. Knueppel has a textbook jumper that almost never changes from shot to shot, and while he's best known as being a catch-and-shoot player, he regularly uses a side dribble to escape oncoming defenders and create open looks for himself.

Yet somehow they have meshed on the floor.

Knueppel entered the final regular-season game three 3s ahead of Ball, but the point guard nearly caught him when he hit five 3s in the finale.

Had Ball taken and made another 3 in the fourth quarter, he could have shared the league lead with Knueppel.

“Well, we were passing each other good looks and trying to make the right reads," Knueppel said of the team's win against the New York Knicks. "It wasn’t like somebody was going in there jacking (up shots). We were passing back and forth trying to make the right play. It just so happened to be me.”

Lee said that's typical of what he has seen all season long from his team — unselfish basketball.

“Those two guys, they work so hard on their craft," Lee said. "One thing I like is our team’s unselfishness to create those looks for them with the drives and kicks. And it’s impressive that our guards and our bigs are setting such great looks to get these guys clean looks.”

The Hornets aren't just a two-man show.

Brandon Miller is another high-end shooter with 204 3s this season and might have been right there with Knueppel and Ball had he not missed 17 games due to injury. Miles Bridges can also shoot the 3, although he's best known more for his ability to get to the basket and his athleticism in finishing off alley-oops on the break.

And then there's Coby White, who has been a huge addition coming off the bench after being acquired in a midseason deal with the Chicago Bulls.

He has 43 3-pointers in 21 games with the Hornets.

And don't forget undersized center Moussa Diabate, who creates open 3s by kicking the ball outside after an offensive rebound.

Now it's time to find out if all of those 3-pointers can translate into playoff wins as it once did for the Splash Brothers.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Charlotte Hornets' LaMelo Ball, center, reacts after scoring during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Charlotte Hornets' LaMelo Ball (1) reacts after scoring a three-point basket against the New York Knicks during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) looks to shoot against Detroit Pistons forward Duncan Robinson, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte Hornets guards LaMelo Ball (1) and Kon Knueppel stands on the court during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) and guard Kon Knueppel (7) stand on the court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

As it does with any championship, ESPN is giving WrestleMania the big-event treatment.

The network will have coverage on “SportsCenter” beginning Thursday, and “First Take” will originate from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Friday.

WrestleMania 42 takes place on Saturday and Sunday, and will be streamed on the ESPN app for the first time. However, the opening hour on Saturday will air on ESPN2, while Sunday’s first hour will air on ESPN. The start time for both nights is 6 p.m. EDT.

ESPN began airing WWE premium live events on the ESPN Unlimited streaming service last September. Most major cable, satellite, and streaming services have reached agreements with Disney that include an ESPN Unlimited subscription as a part of their TV plan.

“We think about WrestleMania as a major milestone for us. We’ve never had it before. It’s really a slice of Americana and a cultural spectacle that extends well beyond just core wrestling fans. So we thought it deserved the big-event treatment,” ESPN president of content Burke Magnus said.

ESPN took over streaming WWE’s major events from Peacock, which had carried them since March 2021.

A “WrestleMania 42” preview show will air Friday at 5 p.m. EDT on ESPN2, while countdown shows leading into both nights will be on either ESPN or ESPN2.

The ESPN app will also air Friday night’s WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.

This will mark the first time part of the main card will air on linear television. The first WrestleMania took place in 1985 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“We love that the first hour of each night will be on ESPN linear,” said WWE EVP for talent relations Chris Legentil. “It gives us the chance to highlight some of our best stuff and then let people switch over to the app for the rest of the evening. We see ourselves as the underdog, and so we always relish the opportunity to showcase our product in a new way to new people.”

Undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes defends his title against Randy Orton in the main event on Saturday. WrestleMania concludes Sunday night with CM Punk putting his World Heavyweight title on the line against Roman Reigns.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

FILE - WrestleMania XL prepares at Lincoln Financial Field on April 6, 2024. (Yong Kim/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, File)