The Brooklyn Nets secured a 114-104 victory over the visiting Charlotte Hornets, avenging an earlier season loss and showing signs of improvement in their ability to close out games. This win came after the Nets let a similar opportunity slip away against the same Hornets team just two nights prior at the Garden, where a poor fourth quarter led to a defeat.
Michael Porter Jr. led the Nets with 26 points and 10 rebounds, finishing with a plus-17 rating. Julius Randle contributed 22 points, and rookie Mikel Brown Jr. set a career-high with 18 points and four assists off the bench. The team's offensive execution in the final quarter was a key difference, as they outscored the Hornets 34-24.
"Yeah, the seven quarters that we saw — from Indiana, four plus the three at the Garden — I think that that was who we want to be," Nets coach Jordi Fernández said. "And obviously the not being organized in the fourth offensively and the turnovers and the lack of execution, we just worked on it. So it’s not something that it’s not fixable. So that’s the beauty of this league, right? Watch it, learn, work at it, and now move on to the next one. So I think we’re getting better. I think that’s the proper steps you have to take."
The Nets' defense was effective from the outset, forcing early misses and turnovers. Despite a significant scoring run by the Hornets in the second quarter that gave them a 10-point lead, Brooklyn managed to close the gap. A 20-7 run in the third quarter, capped by a Danny Wolf three-pointer, gave the Nets a brief lead. Although Charlotte regained the advantage, Brooklyn mounted a decisive 17-5 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to take control.
"Yeah, fourth quarter is winning time, for sure. A lot of these guys haven’t been in that position a lot," Porter said. "But as a group, especially the veteran guys, we’ve got to emphasize that the fourth quarter is a completely different game than three quarters prior and you have to really [focus]."
Earlier in the season, the Nets suffered a humbling loss to the Hornets in their home opener. This victory, following a win in Indiana and a strong showing against the defending champion Knicks, suggests the team is developing positively.