HOUSTON (AP) — Rookie Kon Knueppel had 24 points and LaMelo Ball added 20 to help the Charlotte Hornets roll to a 109-99 victory over the Houston Rockets on Thursday night and extend their winning streak to eight games.
Charlotte’s streak is the franchise’s longest since winning nine in a row in the 1998-99 season.
The Hornets led by 16 after three quarters and Brandon Miller scored the first five points of the fourth to extend the lead to 96-75 with
about 11 minutes to go. A 5-0 run by Charlotte, with a 3-pointer by Sion James, made it 103-81 with about eight minutes remaining and Houston coach Ime Udoka pulled his starters.
It’s a second straight lopsided defeat for the Rockets, who lost 114-93 Wednesday night to a Boston team playing without star Jaylen Brown.
Kevin Durant led Houston, which entered Thursday in fourth place in the Western Conference, with 31 points and Jabari Smith Jr. added 17. It was a tough night for Alperen Sengun, who was averaging 21.2 points, and scored just seven on 3-of-11 shooting.
Miles Bridges added 18 points for the Hornets and Miller finished with 11 after sitting out the entire second quarter after getting three fouls in the first.
Coby White was with the team after a trade from the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. But he did not play and is expected to sit out until after the All-Star break because of a nagging calf injury.
A basket by Durant got the Rockets within 7 before James and Ball made consecutive 3-pointers to push the lead to 83-70 with about four minutes left in the third.
Charlotte was up by 12 late in the third before scoring the last four points of the quarter to take a 91-75 lead into the fourth.
Hornets: Visit Atlanta on Saturday night.
Rockets: Visit Oklahoma City on Saturday.
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