The Nets entered Wednesday’s game at Spectrum Center just percentage points behind the Charlotte Hornets for fourth place in the lottery standings and only two games behind the Utah Jazz for second.
With draft position in mind, it was a game Brooklyn fans would’ve ideally preferred to lose.
However, doing so was expected to be a bit difficult given Charlotte was missing five key pieces in LaMelo Ball, Josh Green, Mark Williams, Cody Martin and Tre Mann. Not to mention Trendon Watford and Ben Simmons returned to the Nets’ rotation on Wednesday as well.
All factors considered, it was nearly impossible for Brooklyn not to have some form of success in Charlotte outside of a complete and utter stinker, or head coach Jordi Fernandez sitting impact players intentionally.
Fernandez refused to pull the plug, and his team left it all on the court. The Nets rolled to a 104-84 win, improved to 15-33 this season and snapped a seven-game losing streak in the process. It was Brooklyn’s first victory since it defeated the Portland Trail Blazers on the road on Jan. 14.
The game was never close. The Nets raced out to an 11-2 lead and did a good job at running the floor, playing with pace and getting stops. It was a 26-19 game entering the second quarter — the fewest Brooklyn had surrendered in a first quarter on the road this season.
The Nets led Charlotte 53-37 at the break, tied for their second-largest halftime lead of the season, and also the second-fewest points they allowed in a first half this season. At that point in the contest, the Hornets were shooting just 30% from the field and 21.1% from deep. Brooklyn had a 32-16 edge in the paint and a 14-1 advantage in transition.
Charlotte never caught up on a night where they trailed by as many as 24 points. The Nets led 84-63 through three quarters, which was their largest lead through three quarters this season and the fewest points they’ve surrendered through three quarters this season. They ended the third quarter on a 10-3 run.
Since the Toronto Raptors blew out the Washington Wizards 106-82 on Wednesday, the Nets remained in fifth place in the lottery standings but are a game behind Charlotte for fourth.
Keon Johnson led the Nets with 18 points on 7-for-18 shooting. Watford, who returned from a 21-game absence because of a left hamstring strain, finished with nine points and four rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench. Simmons, who missed five straight games entering the night because of lower back issues, calf issues, and illness, added 10 points and six assists in 23 minutes off the bench.
Nic Claxton had a season-high six blocks in the win.
Day’Ron Sharpe played his college ball in nearby Chapel Hill, so Wednesday was a homecoming of sorts for him, but it was short-lived. He left the game late in the second quarter and did not return because of left hamstring tightness, contributing five points and six rebounds in 10 minutes off the bench. He missed the first six weeks of the season because of a left hamstring strain.
Cam Johnson (right ankle sprain) and Noah Clowney (right ankle sprain) were inactive against Charlotte. Johnson, who hasn’t played since Jan. 21, is expected to be re-evaluated sometime next week.
The Nets will have two days of rest before returning to action on Saturday against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center.