The Brooklyn Nets ended their skid in convincing fashion, cruising past the Charlotte Hornets 104-83 on Wednesday night. Keon Johnson led a balanced attack with 18 points as Brooklyn (15-33) never trailed in the victory.
Jalen Wilson added 15 points, while Tosan Evbuomwan contributed 14 for the Nets, who controlled the game from start to finish. Brooklyn built an early lead and extended it in the third quarter, outscoring Charlotte 31-26 to put the game out of reach.
Ben Simmons returned to action after missing five games due to an illness and a back injury, finishing with 10 points and six rebounds off the bench. His presence provided a spark as Brooklyn looked more fluid on both ends of the floor.
Miles Bridges led the Hornets (12-32) with 23 points and 13 rebounds, but Charlotte struggled offensively without several key players. LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, and Josh Green were all sidelined due to injuries.
Vasilije Micic, who briefly exited with a chest injury, returned to finish with 15 points and seven rebounds. The Hornets shot just 34% from the field and 29% from three-point range, unable to generate consistent offense.
Brooklyn played without several key players as well, including Cam Thomas, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Cameron Johnson. Despite being short-handed, the Nets controlled the pace and shot an efficient 48.8% from the floor.
Charlotte dominated the rebounding battle 52-40, but its inability to convert second-chance opportunities kept the team from mounting a comeback. The Nets made key defensive stops and forced 17 turnovers to maintain control.
D’Angelo Russell struggled with his shot, finishing with six points on 3-of-8 shooting but dished out seven assists. Nic Claxton added 12 points and eight rebounds, while Trendon Watford provided nine points off the bench.
