Knueppel leads Hornets in blowout of Raptors

TORONTO – Rookie wing Kon Knueppel scored 21 points, including five three-pointers, as the Charlotte Hornets blew out the Toronto Raptors 111-86 on Friday.

Miles Bridges was a rebound short of a double-double, with 15 points and nine rebounds as Charlotte (7-16) ended a two-game skid. Knueppel added eight assists.

Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball had 11 points, two rebounds and three assists in 12 minutes of play before leaving the game with left ankle soreness.

Immanuel Quickley scored a season-high 31 points as Toronto (15-9) came out flat in the second of a back-to-back. The Raptors lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 123-120 on Thursday.

Scottie Barnes had 13 points and five assists. No other Toronto players reached double digits in scoring.

Raptors reserve forward Jamison Battle left the game with 11 minutes left to play after he sprained his left ankle.

Takeaways

Hornets: An excellent shooting night saw Charlotte make 50 per cent of its field-goal attempts, going 37-for-74 from the floor. Bridges was especially effective in the second quarter, getting 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting.

Raptors: Toronto dug itself a nine-point deficit at the intermission after a lacklustre second quarter where it was outscored 35-18. Although the Raptors outscored the Hornets by three points in the third, Charlotte came out flying in the fourth, blowing the game wide open. Both teams put their benches out with more than four minutes remaining on the clock.

Key moment

Back-to-back three-pointers from Knueppel and KJ Simpson with just under 10 minutes left to play capped a 9-0 Charlotte run, opening a 17-point lead for the visitors.

Key stat

Brandon Ingram, Toronto’s leading scorer, was 3-for-13 on field-goal attempts, drawing no fouls, for a seven-point night.

Up next

Toronto: Hosts the Boston Celtics on Sunday.

Charlotte: Hosts the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2025.