Brandon Miller wasted no time putting his name in the record book on a night when the Charlotte Hornets needed someone to carry the load.
With Kon Knueppel sidelined, Miller took command early against the Washington Wizards and gave coach Charles Lee exactly the kind of first-half spark the Hornets were missing. He buried three 3-pointers before halftime and had 18 points at the break, including the shot that pushed him to 500 career 3-pointers with a little more than eight minutes left in the first half.
That bucket put Miller in rare company. He reached 500 threes in 170 games, making him the second-fastest player in NBA history to get there.
Only Duncan Robinson of the Detroit Pistons got there sooner, doing it in 152 games. Stephen Curry needed 221 games, and Damian Lillard in 2015 is the only player in the top ten to hit the milestone before the 2020s.
Charlotte carried a 54-44 lead into halftime, with Moussa Diabate helping set the table as Miller piled up the production and grabbed 12 rebounds. No other Hornets player had reached double figures by that point. Naz Reid also had a rough opening stretch, going 1-for-8 from the field, while Miller kept trying to steady his team on his own.
Congrats to Brandon Miller on becoming the second-fastest NBA player of all-time to reach 500 three-pointers made 👏 pic.twitter.com/YtvzjSFvA1
— Hornets Nation (@HornetsNationCP) October 26, 2026
That kind of performance only adds to the case that Miller is emerging as one of the most underrated picks in recent draft memory. Athletic, deadly from the outside and already backed by a $209 million contract extension, he looked every bit like the kind of player Charlotte can build around as it continued to hold off Washington.
In Other News...
Dennis Schroder Is Giving Hornets Fans A Reason To Believe
Dennis Schroder is wasting little time making himself comfortable in Charlotte. In the Hornets' 115-110 win over the Miami Heat, the veteran guard poured in 25 points and gave a crowd still trying to size up this new-look team a clear glimpse of what he can provide. It was the kind of performance that fit the Hornets early-season tone, with Charlotte moving to 2-1 and beginning to look a little more steady than some expected.
Schroders journey is part of what makes this start so interesting. He arrived from the Cleveland Cavaliers this offseason and has now played for 12 NBA teams, bringing both experience and a well-traveled rsum to a Hornets roster that could use exactly that kind of stability. Charlottes next test comes against the Washington Wizards, and if Schroder keeps producing like this, he may keep giving Hornets fans a reason to believe this group can be competitive sooner than later. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets May Be Turning A Corner Faster Than Anyone Expected
The early signs around Charlotte keep getting harder to ignore. The Hornets moved to 3-1 with a 110-103 win over the Wizards, and this one had the kind of balance and edge that suggests their start is no fluke. Brandon Miller was the clear headliner, and Moussa Diabat gave the group a serious lift on the glass with 17 rebounds as Charlotte kept control of the game when it mattered most.
What stood out just as much was how clean the Hornets played. They limited mistakes, protected possessions, and showed a level of discipline that has often been missing in recent seasons. If this is the version of Charlotte that keeps showing up, the bigger question is no longer whether the team can compete early, but how far this pace can really carry them. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Road Trip Could Finally Clarify A Frustrating Injury Situation
The Hornets are still waiting on clearer answers in a few injury cases, and the next stop on the schedule may help provide them. Coby White, Kon Knueppel and Grant Williams have all been making positive steps, but there is still no specific return timeline attached to any of the three, leaving Charlotte to manage its rotation carefully as it heads into a two-game road trip through Detroit and Washington.
There is at least some hope that the picture will sharpen once the team gets back home. Charles Lee said he expects to have more information after that trip, which gives the Hornets a short runway before a better read on who might be available and when. For a team trying to stabilize its depth, even a little clarity would help. [Read more 🡒]