The Charlotte Hornets were defeated by the Brooklyn Nets, 132-121 on Tuesday. This win snapped the Nets four game losing streak and puts them in eighth place, one game over the Hornets in the Eastern Conference standing. Nets’ Kyrie Irving left his mark on this game.
Irving became one of 22 players in NBA History with five 50-point games, according to Basketball Reference. His career high is 57 points on March 12, 2015, while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers in an overtime win against the San Antonio Spurs.
“He’s incredible. He’s a career highlight reel every time, every night,” said Nets coach Steve Nash. “We obviously have a special player on our hands and tonight, he was unbelievably efficient and difficult to defend. … Those were really big shots he made in the second half, but overall he’s just an incredible player, shot maker.”
The Hornets came out with a lack of energy right from the start. The offense was flat and archaic. The defense was non-existent, providing very little in the way of resistance. The Nets shot a sizzling 57% in the first quarter and led 34-20 after one.
Patty Mills hit back to back threes for Brooklyn around a couple of Hornet two point field goals to extend the lead to 18 early in the second quarter. The Hornets could not find their rhythm from deep, while a number of defensive lapses turned into easy baskets for the Nets. The Nets built a 28 point advantage, as the Hornets showed no effort.
The game was summed up on one play in particular, when Mason Plumlee blocked an Andre Drummond shot. He recovered the loose ball and went up the court, while his teammates basically watched as he was confronted at the rim by four Nets and needed a bailout call by the officials. A step back three by Miles Bridges trimmed the Nets lead slightly, 69-43. It was just the third three-point shot made on 17 first half attempts by the Hornets.
The second half started off with the Nets knocking down two shots from the great beyond, to go up by 32. A coast to coast layup by Bruce Brown, showed that the Hornets did not make any halftime adjustments. Charlotte finally came alive after Bridges, LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier were a three man wrecking crew and sliced the lead to as low as 15 by the 2:19 mark of the third quarter, when coach James Borrego finally had to make some substitutions. The Hornets trailed by 16, 100-84, heading into the final frame.
Both teams exchanged baskets to start the fourth quarter, with Irving shutting down any momentum that the Hornets had. Kelly Oubre Jr. went on a 9-0 run for the Hornets, to try to close the gap. They pulled within 13 because of Oubre’s three-point shots, but Cody Martin could not keep up with Seth Curry and he knocked down a wide open three. Then he compounded the mistake by fouling Irving on a three-point shot, giving the Nets five straight points.
The Hornets pulled within 13 on a couple of other occasions, but that is as close as they could get other than a couple of meaningless buckets in the final minutes.
Irving scored 50 points, on 15 of 19 from the field, 9 of 12 from three point range and 11 of 13 from the free throw line for the Nets. He also had three rebounds, six assists, one steal and one block.
“He’s incredible. He’s a career highlight reel every time, every night,” said Nets coach Steve Nash. “We obviously have a special player on our hands and tonight, he was unbelievably efficient and difficult to defend. … Those were really big shots he made in the second half, but overall he’s just an incredible player, shot maker.”
Drummond had a double-double, with 20 points and 14 rebounds. He also had two assists, one steal and two blocks. Kevin Durant contributed 14 points, three boards and seven dimes. Brown added 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Bridges scored 30 points, with three rebounds, three assists and one steal for the Hornets. Rozier also had 30 points, with eight rebounds, four assists and one steal. Ball added 24 points, five boards, seven dimes and two steals. Oubre Jr. had 15 points, five rebounds and two steal off the bench.
The Nets travel to Philadelphia to take on James Harden and the 76ers on Thursday. The Hornets host Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics in the second game of a back-to-back on Wednesday.
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