Charlotte Hornets Outlast the Brooklyn Nets at Home, 112-105

The Charlotte Hornets grabbed their third straight win as an all-around team performance led them past the Brooklyn Nets.

The Charlotte Hornets (23-21) were able to defeat the Brooklyn Nets (9-34) as they pulled away late to seal their third consecutive victory. Kemba Walker had an off night but unlikely heroes stepped up to help the Hornets pull this one off. It wasn’t a pretty win for Charlotte but they did enough to come out on top.

Missing his fifth consecutive game, Jeremy Lamb sat out once again with an inflamed metatarsal. It isn’t clear when he will return but the Hornets could use the added scoring off the bench when he does. Luckily, Ramon Sessions came up big for the second unit as he scored a team-high 17 points.

Turning Point

Even though the Hornets led for a majority of the game, the Nets made it a tight contest late. The two sides went back and forth as they traded buckets down the stretch of the fourth quarter. With 3:32 left and Charlotte down 98-97, Nicolas Batum decided to take matters into his own hands. He knocked down a three and was fouled resulting in a four-point play then he followed that with another made three. That quick run gave the Hornets a 104-98 lead with 2:50 left in the game.

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He knocked down a three and was fouled resulting in a four-point play then he followed that with another made three. That quick run gave the Hornets a 104-98 lead and they never looked back. Nic didn’t score after that but he didn’t have to after his short seven-point run.

Who Stepped Up

The Hornets were led by Michael Kidd-Gilchrist as he had a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds in this one. Kemba Walker added 16 points, six assists, and four boards but he did so on 17 total shots. He was inefficient but came up big when called upon.

Nicolas Batum chipped in with a near triple-double with 16 points, nine rebounds, and six assists on the night. Marco Belinelli scored 15 off the bench while Cody Zeller had 12 points and nine boards. Frank Kaminsky scored 10 points as he rounded out the seven double-figure scorers.

Brook Lopez led the way for Brooklyn with a game-high 24 points. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 16 and Quincy Acy was the Nets’ leading man off the bench with 14 points.

Play of the Game:

Tweet of the Game:

"Quick Stings"

• The Nets’ second unit outscored the Hornets’ bench 44-43.
• Sessions scored a season-high 17 points and tied a career-high with three made three’s.
• MKG recorded his ninth double-double of the year.
• Charlotte’s now 4-1 when scored 60+ points in the first half.
• The Hornets held Brooklyn to a season-low 14 points in the first quarter.

With the win, the Hornets improved to 2-1 on the season against the Nets. They will meet once more in Charlotte on February 7th.

Next: Five Potential Mid-Season Trade Targets for Charlotte

In their next game, the Charlotte Hornets will host the Washington Wizards in the fourth game of their current homestand. They lose their only previous meeting this season against John Wall and company. Riding a three-game win streak into this one, the Hornets should be in good form as they attempt to even the season series.