Hornets’ Kon Knueppel stars in Milwaukee homecoming, but Bucks earn overtime win

Myles Turner and Giannis Antetokounmpo spoiled Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel’s otherwise glorious Wisconsin homecoming Friday night.

Turner, the Milwaukee Bucks’ surprise free-agent signing over the summer, opened the scoring in overtime with a pair of 3-pointers to propel the Milwaukee Bucks over the Hornets 147-134 at Fiserv Forum. The Bucks (8-5) are 2-0 in NBA Cup group play this season and 10-0 all-time in such games.

“I was always ready,” Turner said. “Giannis (Antetokounmpo) obviously draws so much attention, and it was a pick-your-poison kind of a deal.”

MT BACK-TO-BACK FROM DEEP.

HE’S GOT SIX THREES. pic.twitter.com/x9dCsDfVai

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 15, 2025

Throughout Friday’s game, the Hornets regularly chose to double-team Antetokounmpo and keep the NBA’s leading scorer (33.4 points per game) from hurting them as a scorer. However, two-time MVP hurt them as a passer by dishing out a season-high 18 assists, which was two shy of his career high for assists in a game.

Antetokounmpo did his fair share of scoring (25 points) and rebounding (seven) as well, but he made the Hornets pay for making him a passer Friday night.

“I told him that after the game, ‘Just being your teammate now, you don’t get enough credit for how well you see the floor,’ ” Turner said of Antetokounmpo. “He’s got an incredible feel for the game.

“It’s just years of experience, seeing multiple defenses thrown at him and whatnot, and he’s really mastered that part of the game. It’s just a testament to how much time he’s put into this game.”

Turner delivered two of the biggest shots of the game in overtime to end his night with 18 points on 6-of-8 3-point shooting, but those shots wouldn’t have been necessary if not for Knueppel’s clutch performance in his first NBA game in his hometown.

Knueppel, the fourth pick in June’s draft, was born and raised in Milwaukee.

So excited to host the Hornets at our home in MKE! pic.twitter.com/btmkBHBpEz

— Chari Nordgaard Knueppel (@ChariNKnueppel) November 14, 2025

With family members in the stands, Knueppel demonstrated his lights-out shooting prowess, scoring a career-best 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting from the field. His final basket of the game — a spot-up 3 with 21 seconds left after teammate Miles Bridges’ missed dunk ricocheted off the rim to the wing — sent the game into overtime.

Entering the game, Knueppel was averaging 16.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 39.8 percent from the field. He has helped the Hornets to stay competitive without star LaMelo Ball, who returned to action Friday after missing five games with an ankle injury. Knueppel has been the NBA’s best rookie early this season, according to The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie.

While Antetokounmpo was spectacular with a near triple-double and Turner hit some of the game’s biggest shots to ruin Knueppel’s homecoming, Kyle Kuzma led Milwaukee in scoring, adding 29 points in his first game in the Bucks’ starting lineup this season.

His 29 points were the most he has scored in a Bucks uniform, but he also collected 10 rebounds, dished out five assists and corralled four steals in his best all-around game since he was traded from Washington to Milwaukee at last season’s trade deadline.

“I just thought we needed the size defensively,” coach Doc Rivers said when asked why he inserted Kuzma into the starting lineup for Gary Trent Jr. “I love Kuz with that group because when Giannis gets trapped, Kuz is the cutter now. And we leave Myles out where the five is uncomfortable, and that really paid dividends in overtime.”

Giannis finds Kuz for the slam! pic.twitter.com/4BBmPda63h

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 15, 2025

While Kuzma’s scoring stood out Friday, the 30-year-old forward said his performance was a product of doing the same things he was already doing this season when coming off the bench.

“No mindset switch,” Kuzma said about getting the start. “Still play my role. Play defense, cut, be efficient, communicate defense. Same stuff.”

He added, “Whether it’s 15, 17 shots or four shots, it’s still playing the same style basketball. So, that’s just a credit to my teammates finding me on cuts and finding me in transition and stuff like that.”

Following the game, Turner complimented Trent, who accepted being taken out of the starting lineup gracefully and then still impacted the game with eight points in 21 minutes off the bench. However, Kuzma’s impact on Friday was undeniable.

With the Hornets sending double-teams at Antetokounmpo in the middle of the floor, Kuzma turned into Antetokounmpo’s safety valve to close the game. Kuzma found his way to the rim multiple times in the fourth quarter before connecting with the Bucks superstar forward on a give-and-go in overtime for one of the game’s best highlights.

Giannis and Kuz work the give and go to perfection! pic.twitter.com/vmDYLrR22T

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 15, 2025

“That’s what he’s been doing anyway, so it’s nothing new for him,” Rivers said. “He just did it this time with the starters.”

The Bucks’ new starting lineup was a success in its debut, but it will be tested again quickly as Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers (9-4) come to Milwaukee for a 7 p.m. (CT) Saturday showdown.