Cohen Knupur Hornets beat Kings in summer league to win first Summer League title

Cohen Knupur was the team's highest scorer with 21 points, and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Sacramento Kings 83-78 in Las Vegas to win their first NBA Summer League title.

The fourth pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the former Duke star made 4 three-pointers on 11 shots and contributed five rebounds and two assists. Another rookie, second-round pick Ryan Calcbrena, had 15 points and nine rebounds.

Jaylen Sims, KJ Simpson and DJ Rodman each contributed 11 points for the Hornets, leading 34-18 at the end of the first quarter, 46-39 at the end of the half and 67-57 at the end of the final quarter. The Kings launched a counterattack with a score of 22-16 in the last quarter, narrowing the gap to just one point apart. But Knurper, who was selected as the finals' Most Valuable Player, made a three-pointer with 32 seconds left and a free throw in the last 11 seconds, helping the Hornets secure the victory.

Sacramento forward Isaiah Jones scored a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds, both of which were the highest in this game. Devin Carter added 13 points, and rookie Nick Clifford, a first-round pick from Colorado State, contributed 10 points and eight rebounds.