Hornets' Comeback Attempt Falls Short in Brooklyn
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BROOKLYN, NY - For the second time this week, the Charlotte Hornets come up on the wrong side of a close game, this time falling to the Brooklyn Nets, 122-118.
Many of the same things that Hornets head coach Steve Clifford voiced his frustrations with following the loss to Los Angeles showed up again in the first twelve minutes of tonight's game. Guys leaking out instead of attacking the glass and poor box outs, which led to second chance points.
Hell, Seth Curry had a seven-point possession because of it. Nick Richards fouled Curry on a three, not giving him enough space to land which resulted in a flagrant. Curry drilled the free throw and then promptly buried another three after the Hornets were unable to secure a defensive rebound. That possession took it from a 29-25 game to a 36-25 game. Curry went a perfect 4/4 from the field in the opening quarter, leading all scorers with 11 points.
The Nets took that momentum into the opening minutes of the second quarter, opening things up on a 9-2 run which forced Clifford to burn a timeout. However, the timeout wasn't able to stop the bleeding. Brooklyn caught fire from three in the frame connecting on 4-of-7 attempts. Charlotte's defense collapsed nearly every time the Nets drove the ball to the paint, leaving shooters wide-open on the perimeter.
The Hornets cut into the 73-55 halftime deficit by finally stringing together some defensive stops and closing out on shooters. Kelly Oubre Jr. helped lead the charge dropping ten third quarter points. Oubre played a big factor in continuing to chip away at the lead by pressuring the rim and hitting a heavily contested three to make it a one-point game, 113-112, with roughly three minutes left.
Terry Rozier also had a big night, particularly in the second half, where he recorded 18 points. He weaved in and out of traffic on back-to-back buckets to keep it a one possession game in the final minute. However, he was called for a blocking foul that led to a pair of made free throws by Irving. Kyrie made another mid-range jumper the next trip up the floor to ice things.
The Hornets return home for a Friday night date with the New York Knicks. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.
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