The Brooklyn Nets finally gave their home crowd something to cheer about Wednesday night, and they did it the hard way. After falling behind by seven at halftime, Brooklyn flipped the game after the break and rolled past the Charlotte Hornets, 114-104, at Barclays Center for its first home win of the season.
That turnaround looked a lot different from the Nets team that managed just 90 points in Monday’s loss to the New York Knicks. Brooklyn also had the sting of a 110-103 defeat to Charlotte on opening night hanging over it, but the second half told a different story. The Nets outscored the Hornets 64-47 over the final two quarters and never let the game slip away once they grabbed control.
Charlotte opened the night slowly, missing its first six shots before Coby White finally got the Hornets on the board more than three minutes in. Even so, the visitors settled in as the first quarter wore on. Naz Reid and Grayson Allen helped Charlotte close on a 9-0 burst, turning that sluggish start into a 24-21 lead after one.
The Hornets kept the pressure on in the second quarter, and Allen was the biggest reason why. He caught fire from deep, scoring 16 points in the period and hitting five three-pointers in the first half.
Reid also gave Charlotte a steady scoring punch, and Brooklyn spent much of the half chasing perimeter shots. By halftime, the Hornets were in front 57-50.
Brooklyn had its own issues in the first half. Julius Randle led the Nets with 14 points at the break, while Michael Porter Jr. and the young guards helped keep the game from getting away. The Nets also lost Noah Clowney for the rest of the night because of right knee soreness.
Then came the third quarter, and Brooklyn came out with a different edge. Nolan Traoré buried a three, Randle powered through contact, and Danny Wolf gave the Nets an immediate lift off the bench. Wolf later drilled a three to finish off an 11-0 run that put Brooklyn ahead for the first time since the opening quarter.
Wolf kept swinging the momentum in Brooklyn’s favor. He brought energy on both ends and gave the Nets another scoring option when they needed one. The Nets won the quarter 30-23, erased the seven-point halftime hole, and went into the fourth tied at 80.
From there, Brooklyn kept its foot down. Randle opened the fourth with a three-pointer, and Wolf and Mikel Brown Jr. followed from long range to help the Nets build a six-point cushion early in the period.
Porter Jr. then took over the scoring load. He knocked down three triples in the fourth quarter and helped Brooklyn stretch the lead into double digits. Charlotte never truly threatened after that.
What stood out even more was that a big chunk of Brooklyn’s closing run came with Randle on the bench. Wolf stayed active, finishing a fast-break chance through contact and adding two free throws. He ended the night with 12 points and a plus-17, second on the team only to Porter Jr.’s plus-19.
Porter Jr. finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead Brooklyn. Randle added 22 points, Brown scored 18, and Wolf’s work off the bench gave the Nets a much-needed jolt.
Charlotte got 28 points and nine rebounds from Reid and 22 points from Allen, but Brooklyn did a strong job of quieting the Hornets’ other main scoring threats. Brandon Miller and White combined for just 14 points on 4-of-24 shooting, including 1-of-15 from three.
Randle’s night also added another reason for Brooklyn to feel good. He continues to give the Nets a steady presence at both ends, and he is one of just three NBA players this season leading his team in points, rebounds and assists, alongside Jayson Tatum and Alperen Sengun.
The win pushed Brooklyn to 2-6 and gave the Nets their first home victory of the season. Charlotte, meanwhile, dropped its fifth straight after arriving on a four-game losing streak.
After the flat showing against the Knicks, Brooklyn answered with one of its better offensive nights of the season. Just as important, the Nets showed what this group can look like when the veterans and the young players are all pulling in the same direction.
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