Nets Hold Lead in Final Period to Beat Hornets 114-104

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Charlotte Hornets 114 to 104 on Wednesday, securing a win that avenged a season-opening loss to the same team. The victory marked the second consecutive win for Brooklyn, following a recent success in Indiana.

Michael Porter Jr. led the Nets with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Julius Randle contributed 22 points. Mikel Brown Jr., a recent lottery pick, set a career high with 18 points and four assists while playing off the bench.

The decisive factor was the fourth quarter. Two nights earlier at the Garden, the Nets collapsed in the final period, allowing a 25-5 run and missing 13 of 16 shots. On Wednesday, they outscored Charlotte 34 to 24 in the fourth. The team shot 51.2 percent from the field and made 8 of 22 three-point attempts during that stretch.

Head coach Jordi Fernández noted the team’s improvement after reviewing previous games. “I think that that was who we want to be,” Fernández said. “We just worked on it.. and now move on to the next one.”

The Nets established an early defensive advantage, forcing six straight misses and a turnover to open the game. Day’Ron Sharpe recorded a career-high eight assists. The team faced a deficit in the first half, falling behind by 10 points on a Grayson Allen three-pointer with one minute remaining.

Brooklyn responded with an 11-point run in the third quarter to take the lead. Danny Wolf hit a three-pointer off a Randle pass to put the Nets up 61-59. Although Charlotte regained the lead at 78-72 with two minutes left in the third, the Nets executed a 17-5 run spanning the period break to regain control.

Randle found Brown for a three-pointer that gave Brooklyn an 89-83 lead. The team held its advantage through the final minutes. Porter emphasized the importance of focus in the closing minutes. “The fourth quarter is a completely different game,” he said.