February 26, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) celebrates scoring a second-half goal against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images It’s been a record-breaking week for the Charlotte Hornets, who return home to face the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday afternoon.
Both teams are hovering around the playoff cutoff line in their respective conferences.
The Hornets won 133-109 at Indiana on Thursday, with Kon Knueppel becoming the NBA’s all-time leader among rookies in 3-pointers.
“It’s always very special to have access to historic moments,” said Charlotte coach Charles Lee. “And it’s really cool to see where his story started and where he continues to rise. The players around him have put him in good positions and helped him along the way.”
Kneuppel made 209 3-pointers, reaching a shooting percentage of 44.2% from beyond the arc.
The Hornets finished 3-0 on the road and moved to a .500 record after two games.
“We have to manage the games we believe we should win,” Kneuppel said. “Going forward, just playing together, playing both defensively and offensively will be the best strategy for us.”
The Trail Blazers opened a five-game road trip with a 121-112 win at Chicago on Thursday.
Portland coach Thiago Splitter said, “It’s always a good feeling to win. The whole team’s atmosphere is good.” “We’re on the road a lot of days. No family, just us. Meetings, meals, bus rides, planes. A lot of time together.”
For the Trail Blazers, Jerami Grant scored 27 points against Chicago, marking the second time this season he has scored 20 or more points in three straight games. He hasn’t reached that level in four straight games.
Deni Avdija is the Trail Blazers’ leading scorer with 24.4 points per game, but has been sidelined for nearly a week with back pain.
Portland center Donovan Clingan missed the Chicago game due to illness. Forward Toumani Kamara is the only player to appear in all 60 games for the Trail Blazers this season, averaging 13.1 points per game.
The Trail Blazers have been dealing with backcourt injuries, giving guard Scoot Henderson an opportunity this month. He appeared in eight games and scored double digits in all of them.
“He always brings energy to our team,” Splitter said. “It’s great to see him grow.”
Splitter said limiting turnovers is something the Trail Blazers emphasize.
“We have to take good care of the ball,” Splitter said. “We’ve (turned it over) too many times. We always talk about making easy passes and not trying to make hero passes. You just have to be smart and take care of the ball.”
Guard Coby White made his Hornets debut Thursday night and logged 17 minutes. He has been injured since being acquired from Chicago in a trade.
If White plays on Saturday, it will be his first home game in his home state.
“He picks things up really quickly,” Lee said. “Don’t try to do too much, and you don’t have to be special.”
This will be the first of two meetings between the two teams within two weeks.
–Field level media
