Hornets 127, Suns 107 — Game recap

Thursday, April 2, 2026 | Spectrum Center, Charlotte, N.C.

The takeaway: Charlotte kept its late-season surge rolling with a convincing 127-107 win over Phoenix, turning a first-quarter deficit into a runaway by owning the middle two periods. The Hornets gave up 41 points in the opening quarter, then completely flipped the game with sharper defense, hot three-point shooting, and a balanced offensive attack led by Miles Bridges, Kon Knueppel, and LaMelo Ball. The win pushed Charlotte to 41-36 and marked its seventh win in nine games. (ESPN.com)

Watch the full game highlights: Suns at Hornets | Full Game Highlights | April 2, 2026 (YouTube)

Score & line

• Final: Hornets 127, Suns 107
• Quarter scores: Phoenix led 41-33 after one, but Charlotte took a 66-60 halftime lead and stretched it to 102-87 entering the fourth before finishing off the 20-point win. (ESPN.com)

Key stats

Charlotte shot 51.6% from the floor, made 18 of 39 threes, and dominated the glass 47-31. Phoenix started red-hot, making 17 of 28 shots in the first quarter, but the Hornets tightened up after that and outscored the Suns 94-66 the rest of the way. (ESPN.com)

The Hornets had five players score in double figures. Miles Bridges led the way with 25 points, Kon Knueppel had 20, Coby White scored 19 off the bench, Brandon Miller added 17, and LaMelo Ball finished with 15 points and 11 assists. Grant Williams chipped in 10 as Charlotte’s depth showed up again. For Phoenix, Jalen Green scored 25, Devin Booker had 22, Dillon Brooks and Grayson Allen each scored 13, and former Hornet Mark Williams added 12. (ESPN.com)

Game flow — the moments that mattered

• Phoenix’s fast start: The Suns came out firing, hitting 15 of their first 20 shots and building a 41-33 lead by the end of the first quarter. Devin Booker had 17 first-half points, and Charlotte’s defense looked shaky early. (ESPN.com)
• Charlotte swings the game before halftime: The Hornets steadily erased the deficit in the second quarter, then closed the half on a 9-0 run to go from trailing to leading 66-60 at the break. That stretch changed the whole feel of the night and gave Charlotte control going into the locker room. (Reuters)
• Third-quarter knockout punch: Charlotte carried that momentum straight into the third, opening with a 14-6 run to take an 80-66 lead with 9:11 left in the quarter. From there, the Hornets never let Phoenix seriously back into it. (Reuters)
• Knueppel’s record sparks the crowd: One of the loudest moments of the night came in the fourth when Knueppel buried a corner three for his 261st made three of the season, breaking Kemba Walker’s franchise single-season record of 260. Right after that, Ball found Bridges for an alley-oop dunk, and Bridges followed with a corner three that pushed Charlotte’s lead to 19 and effectively put the game away. (ESPN.com)

Player notes & postgame reaction

Bridges was the game’s tone-setter once Charlotte settled in. He scored 25 on 10-of-16 shooting and knocked down four threes, giving the Hornets a steady scoring force when Phoenix’s first-quarter barrage threatened to get out of hand. Ball’s 11 assists were a big reason Charlotte’s offense kept generating clean looks once it found rhythm. (Reuters)

Knueppel’s night carried extra weight because of the record. Hornets.com’s postgame coverage highlighted his milestone, and Knueppel said, “I think especially with the team success, it’s been real fun to enjoy some of that individual success as well.” He added that turning the season around and feeling the crowd’s support has been “encouraging” and helps the team play better. (Charlotte Hornets)

Why Charlotte won

1. The middle quarters: After allowing 41 in the first, the Hornets settled down and controlled the second and third quarters, scoring 69 points in those two periods while pulling away. (Reuters)
2. Three-point volume and accuracy: Charlotte’s 18 made threes gave it a huge offensive edge, and Knueppel’s four triples headlined another big night from deep. (ESPN.com)
3. Rebounding dominance: The Hornets’ 47-31 advantage on the glass helped them generate second chances and keep Phoenix from sustaining momentum after its hot start. (ESPN.com)
4. Balanced scoring: Bridges led the way, but Charlotte had five double-figure scorers and got a major lift from White off the bench. (ESPN.com)

Quick look ahead

Phoenix dropped its sixth road game in seven tries, while Charlotte kept climbing in the East play-in race and remained in the hunt for a guaranteed playoff spot. The Hornets’ next game is at home against Indiana. (ESPN.com)