Hornets' Miller Drops 33 Points
Charlotte Hornets won on the road Thursday with Brandon Miller scoring 33 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 three-pointers, while LaMelo Ball added 20 points and 8 assists. Other standout performances included Paolo Banchero's 36-10-6 for Orlando over the Lakers, Jonathan Kuminga's 27 points in his Hawks debut, and Cason Wallace's career-high 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists for Oklahoma City.
Brandon Miller's 33 points matched his season-high, which he previously set on New Year's Eve against the Golden State Warriors. In the victory over the Pacers, Miller was particularly effective in the third quarter, where he scored 19 of his points. The win marked a franchise-best ninth consecutive road victory for the Hornets. In the same game, Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel set a new NBA single-season record for 3-pointers made by a rookie, surpassing Keegan Murray's previous mark of 206. Knueppel, the fourth overall pick in the 2025 draft, hit eight 3-pointers to bring his season total to 209 with 22 games still remaining. Paolo Banchero's dominant performance against the Lakers placed him in elite company in Orlando Magic history. It was his 14th career game with at least 35 points, moving him ahead of Anfernee Hardaway and Dwight Howard for third-most in franchise history, trailing only Tracy McGrady and Shaquille O'Neal. His 36 points came in a tight 110-109 road win at Crypto.com Arena. Jonathan Kuminga's 27 points in his Hawks debut came in a 119-98 victory over the Washington Wizards. He made an immediate impact, scoring a layup and a dunk shortly after checking into the game for the first time. Kuminga, who was recently acquired from the Golden State Warriors, became the first player in Hawks history to score over 25 points in less than 30 minutes in his debut. Cason Wallace's career-high tying 27 points helped a short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder team defeat the Toronto Raptors 116-107 on the road. The Thunder were playing without MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was out with an abdominal strain. The performance marked Wallace's second consecutive game with over 20 points.
