Charlotte Closed Out 2025 With A High Energy Affair That Came Up Just Short In Steph Curry’s Return Home.
The Charlotte Hornets came painfully close to a signature victory on Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors, falling 132–125 in a high-octane battle at the Spectrum Center — and what makes it sting even more is the context of who wasn’t on the floor for Charlotte.
Miles Bridges (ankle), Ryan Kalkbrenner (elbow), and Mason Plumlee (groin) all missed the game due to injury, forcing the Hornets to lean heavily on youth and depth.
Despite the absences, Charlotte kept pace with one of the league’s toughest long-distance shooting teams, matching the Warriors shot for shot early and riding the hot hands of Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball — Miller exploding for a season-high 33 points, coming off of 31 against the Bucks, and Ball tallying 27 with seven made threes.
Kon Knueppel made his return to play and didn’t miss a beat, giving Charlotte 20 points on 7 of 11 shooting. After the game, Charles Lee said that Kon’s “relentless work ethic along with good fortune” is why he fortunate enough to only miss one game due to his ankle injury sustained in Orlando.
But the Warriors’ lethal perimeter attack ultimately made the difference. Golden State drained 24 threes on the night, with Steph Curry’s 26 points leading the way and Brandin Podziemski adding 19 in a crucial fourth-quarter surge.
For the Hornets, it was a missed opportunity and a game where they were in striking distance to win in the final minute. Add in a couple key pieces you were missing in Miles Bridges and Ryan Kalkbrenner and maybe this thing goes differently.
While the loss drops them to 11–21, the effort and continued growth of the Hornets shouldn’t be overlooked as they head into 2026.
If anything, it underlines the Hornets’ potential depth and the scoring emergence of their young core. The challenge now is staying competitive through injuries and turning these close outcomes into wins — a transition that could get them to the NBA Play-In Tournament.
Charlotte will open 2026 on a midwest road trip that will take them to Milwaukee, Chicago, and then Oklahoma City.