The Charlotte Hornets lost their Monday night road game by eight, 97-89, to the Brooklyn Nets. It was their eighth loss in their last nine outings. The Nets, who have been victorious in five of their last six, playing lockdown defense, holding their opponents below 100 points for the fifth time in that span.
The Hornets sustained a pair of crucial losses during the game. LaMelo Ball exited in the first half with right ankle soreness, finishing with just five points on 2-of-5 from the field. Ball played the first 10 minutes, and the Hornets announced at intermission he would not play the rest of the night due to an injury to his ankle. He recently returned to the court after a five-game layoff with a sprained left ankle.
Nets big man Nic Claxton took advantage of the Hornets lack of size, scoring 16 points, Cam Johnson and Day’Ron Sharpe each contributed 14 points for the Nets, in the best stretch of their first season under Jordi Fernandez. This was their second victory over Charlotte during that span.
Embed from Getty ImagesCharlotte’s Moussa Diabaté, who had a double-double with a career-high 21 points and 10 rebounds along with two blocks, left in the second half with a right eye abrasion.
“He’s a product of the environment that we’re creating,” coach Charles Lee said. “It’s the coaching staff, his teammates talking to him. He has come in and continues to add a spark, a boost, a competitive spirit, and I’m glad to see that he’s getting rewarded for it.”
Despite being down to key players, Ball and Diabate, the Hornets managed to outshoot the Nets from the field, knocking down 41.0 percent of their attempts compared to Brooklyn’s 39.8 percent. Not exactly a shoot-out.
Both teams struggled mightily from beyond the arc, with Charlotte connecting on a bone chilling 19.4 percent and the Nets faring slightly better at 23.8 percent.
Four of Brooklyn’s five starters cracked double digits, led by Claxton’s 16 points on 8-of-13 shooting.
Brooklyn dominated the glass with a 47-40 rebounding advantage and recorded more assists (24-18) in the victory.
Hornets Rookies Tidjane Salaün and KJ Simpson continued to impress, making the most of the minutes they are given. Salaün finished with 16 points and 5 boards, while Simpson added 9 points and 9 rebounds off the bench.
The Nets were able to take advantage of the second chance point opportunities outscoring the Hornets 24-13.
The Hornets’ nine game road trip continues Wednesday night in Orlando against Paolo Banchero and the Magic for the third meeting between the two teams this season.
The Nets host Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday in their final game before the All-Star break.
