NBA: Hornets sting Sacramento with a 44-point drubbing

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Charlotte Hornets scored their second-most dominant win of the ongoing NBA regular season after pummeling the Sacramento Kings by 44 points, 134-90, during their interconference showdown on March 25, 2026.

A month after demolishing the Utah Jazz by 55 points, the Hornets replicated their 3-point shooting clinic, tying their franchise record with 26 treys against Sacramento.

Leading the Eastern Conference squad to a downtown masterpiece were Coby White and LaMelo Ball, who each sank six 3-pointers, backstopped by Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Knueppel with four made treys.

After leading by only nine points entering the second quarter, Charlotte blew the game wide open midway through the frame, outscoring Sacramento, 38-22, to establish a commanding 25-point lead at halftime.

It was all a blur for the Kings as Charlotte needed only a three-minute window to stretch its advantage to 20 points, torching visiting Sacramento with an overwhelming 3-point barrage.

The Kings attempted to slow down Charlotte’s long-distance prowess after mixing things up with a 1-2-2 extended zone defense, but even the toughest counter to a 3-point shooting team went for naught.

To break free from the extended zone, the Hornets ran the floppy play on both elbows, allowing Ball to locate White and Knueppel, who were already freed up by multiple screen actions on the baseline.

The lead further grew as Charlotte mounted a 36-point cushion heading into the fourth quarter, en route to a quick bench overhaul that signified Sacramento’s early surrender.

Charlotte flaunted its best 3-point shooting performance in 72 regular-season games, burying 26 of 55 attempts, while the Kings wrapped up another disappointing loss, going ice-cold from deep with only nine 3-pointers.

White spearheaded Charlotte’s surgical shooting masterclass with 27 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field, alongside five rebounds and one assist.

Ball nearly tallied a triple-double after churning out 20 markers, eight dimes and six boards, while Knueppel added 14 points and four rebounds.

The Hornets will look to continue their winning streak on March 27, 2026, against the New York Knicks, while Sacramento aims to halt the bleeding on the same date against the Orlando Magic.