Nets Unable to Sneak Past Banged-Up Hornets, Drop Seventh-Straight

Ahead Saturday night's road matchup with the Charlotte Hornets, the Brooklyn Nets found themselves losers of six-straight. In a contest that didn't feature LaMelo Ball nor Brandon Miller, the Nets had to find a way to end their recent skid. However, a 12-0 run over the games' final four minutes proved they couldn't, falling 105-102.

D'Angelo Russell led the Nets with 28 points and seven assists in their latest blunder.

Despite facing a Hornets squad decimated by injuries, head coach Jordi Fernandez and company proved unable to build substantial momentum. Fresh off a 46-point performance last night, Miles Bridges began taking advantage of Brooklyn's porous defense early. Whether through burying triples or finding his way to the free-throw line, Bridges' nine points helped erase a seven-point Nets lead.

While the defensive struggles continued, the offensive flow mirrored the opening stretch of Brooklyn's Thursday night loss to the Golden State Warriors. While the visitors didn't put up 35 points in the first quarter as they did against Golden State, Cam Thomas efficiently led the scoring attack through the first 12 minutes of play. Sans Cam Johnson, Thomas commanded nearly all of Charlotte's attention, yet still tallied seven points to help retain a 28-26 advantage through one.

Thomas continued his offensive prowess into the second quarter as Russell and Trendon Watford made up the supporting cast. Thanks to the trio, the Nets orchestrated a 12-4 run to start the frame, quickly building their lead up to 10.

Leaning on a core of Malachi Flynn, Taj Gibson and Moussa Diabete due to all the injuries, the Hornets scrapped back within five before Brooklyn managed to put together another run — this one far more impactful than the first. In the closing three minutes of the first half, Russell exploded for seven points while assisting Nic Claxton on a lob attempt, capping off a 14-4 run to push the Nets ahead by 15 at the halftime buzzer.

Russell and Thomas were the go-to weapons in the first half, but Ziaire Williams quickly took control of the scoring output at the beginning of the second. All assisted by Russell, Williams buried one shot from beyond the arc and another two inside the perimeter, giving him 16 on the evening as Brooklyn fought to maintain its double-digit lead.

The Nets' defense — while far improved from some of its recent displays — did break down on multiple occasions in the third quarter. Charlotte connected on six three-pointers in the third, two courtesy of Nick Smith Jr. The former first-round selection posted 11 points out of the break, leading the Hornets' combeack bid while trimming Brooklyn's lead to just six heading into the final quarter of action.

In his best performance in nearly a month, Russell played the role of closer for the win-hugry Nets. Even after unraveling late in the third frame, Brooklyn relied on its veteran point guard on countless possessions down the stretch. Gracefully, Russell scored 15 of his 28 points halfway through the stanza, accounting for all of the Nets buckets late in the ballgame as their lead again ballooned up to 11.

Even with Russell's brilliance, Brooklyn couldn't get out of its own way. After conceding a 10-0 run, the score differential again sat at between two and three possessions until Bridges powered his way to and and-one. At that point, the Nets led by just three with nearly two minutes to play in regulation.

Charlotte scored a quick four points subsequent to Bridges' hoop plus the harm, putting it ahead by one — its first lead of the game — with a minute and a half remaining. With no change on the scoreboard, Fernandez called timeout with 7.9 seconds on the clock to draw up one final play. The ball was inbounded to Thomas, who drove at the top of the key into a wide open lane, until Bridges swatted his game-winning attempt, handing the Nets their seventh straight loss.

Now 21-42 on the 2024-25 campaign, Brooklyn's next opportunity to get back in the win column will be at home on Monday against the Los Angeles Lakers at 7:30 p.m. EST.

To access the final box score from the Nets' loss to the Hornets, click here.

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