The Charlotte Hornets got a pretty big win over the Orlando Magic on December 26, 2025, beating them 120-105. But the victory came with a pretty big concern. Rookie guard Kon Knueppel went down with a right ankle injury late in the second quarter. He limped off the court and didn’t come back for the second half, which is never a good sign for any team, especially with a promising young player. This is a tough blow for the Hornets who are trying to build something good.
Knueppel’s Hot Start Halted
Knueppel was having an absolutely fantastic first half before the injury. He was red-hot, scoring 16 points, and get this, all of them came in the first quarter. He made all four of his 3-point attempts, just draining everything he threw up there. He’s been really good all season, actually.
Coming into this game, Knueppel was averaging 19.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. Those are some impressive numbers for a rookie, for sure. He ranks second among all NBA rookies in both scoring and 3-point shooting. So yeah, he’s a big part of what Charlotte’s doing.
The injury happened in the final seconds of the first half. Knueppel was playing defense, guarding a drive to the basket. He landed awkwardly on Orlando’s Desmond Bane’s foot and twisted his right ankle. You can actually find a video of the incident from NBA highlights if you wanna see it. It looked pretty painful, you know, when you land on someone’s foot like that. That’s always a tough one.
Initial Diagnosis: X-Rays Negative
After he left the game, everyone was obviously worried. But there’s some good news. Hornets coach Charles Lee told reporters that X-rays on Knueppel’s right ankle came back negative. That’s a huge relief, honestly, because you always fear the worst with ankle twists.
So, no broken bones, which is great. But he’s not out of the woods yet. He’s scheduled for a reevaluation once the team gets back to Charlotte. They’ll probably check it again and see how it’s feeling, how much swelling there is, all that stuff. Hopefully, it’s nothing too serious, and he’s back on the court soon. According to ESPN, the team is being cautious, which makes sense.
Magic’s Struggles Continue Without Wagner
Now, about the game itself. Charlotte won pretty handily, 120-105. Part of that might be because the Orlando Magic are a bit shorthanded themselves. They’ve been struggling without their top scorer, Franz Wagner. He’s been missing since the beginning of December.
Without Wagner, the Magic just seem to weaken, you know? They’re not the same team. This home defeat against Charlotte just adds to their recent woes. It’s tough when you lose a key player, and Orlando definitely feels Wagner’s absence. You can see how much they miss him, impacting their overall game. The Orlando Magic official news also highlighted the team’s struggles in giving up too many threes and offensive rebounds in the loss.
As of December 26, 2025, there aren’t any further updates on Knueppel’s status beyond the negative X-rays and the reevaluation plan. Everyone’s just waiting to hear what the next steps are. For now, the Hornets will just have to manage without their high-scoring rookie guard.
Tanya Singh 
Annsly Raena