The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 111-107, at Spectrum Center on Tuesday.
The Hornets (24-28) had to have come in to Tuesday’s tilt with an extra air of confidence, given that the Nets (9-43) had won just two road games in 24 attempts this season. However, Brooklyn came to play, as they did in all four games against Charlotte this season. Their second unit turned in 43 points, and they limited their hosts to 39.2 and 26.9 percent success rates from the field and three-point range, respectively. They also battled back from a 54-37 halftime deficit to score 70 points in the second half. However, two clutch free throws by Marco Belinelli with six seconds remaining provided the final margin of victory for the Hornets.
The Nets were led by Bojan Bogdanovic, who tallied 22 points, five rebounds and one assist, and who drained two his trio of three-pointers in the closing seconds to keep things interesting. Brook Lopez was next with 20 points, five rebounds, one assist and four blocks. Joe Harris led the bench with 12 points, four rebounds and one assist. Isaiah Whitehead was productive as well with 11 points, seven assists, one rebound and one steal in 26 minutes. Trevor Booker posted a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double that also included three assists. Randy Foye filled out the stat sheet with eight points, four rebounds and three assists.
The Hornets saw Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum lead the way with matching 17-point efforts, with the former adding five assists and three boards, and the latter compiling eight boards, four assists, four steals and two blocks. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marvin Williams managed 14 points apiece. Kidd-Gilchrist also posted seven rebounds, two assists and a block, and Williams hauled in nine boards and a pair of blocks. Frank Kaminsky drew the start at center and turned in a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included five assists and a steal. Belinelli led the second unit with 17 points, three rebounds and a block, while Jeremy Lamb provided 16 points, seven boards, a steal and a block in 19 highly efficient minutes off the bench.
The Nets head back home to tangle with the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night, while the Hornets remain home to face off with the Houston Rockets on Thursday evening.
