Nets come ‘together’ to edge Hornets

Brooklyn hangs on to Cup hopes with 116-115 win

November 20, 2024 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Cam Johnson exalts with Jalen Wilson (No. 22) and Trendon Watford (right) following the Nets' thrilling NBA Cup win over Charlotte at Barclays Center. AP Photo by Seth Wenig

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When asked what it took for his team to overcome the absence of leading scorer Cam Thomas and a 17-point, first-half deficit in its NBA Cup home opener Tuesday night, Nets rookie coach Jordi Fernández kept it simple.

“The togetherness,” he replied.

It certainly took a joint effort.

One that included a season-high 34 points from Cam Johnson, a series of big shots from fill-in starter Jalen Wilson and the clutch play of Trendon Watford down the stretch for Brooklyn to edge the Charlotte Hornets, 116-115, in front of 18,117 fans at Downtown’s Barclays Center.

“We won a big game, a Cup game. I think it’s a win for everybody,” gushed Fernández after the Nets snapped a season-high three-game losing streak and kept their hopes alive in the league’s in-season tournament.

Johnson went 11-of-20 from the field, 6-of-12 from 3-point range, buried all six of his free throws, ripped down five rebounds, handed out four assists, picked up a steal and blocked two shots.

“He does it in a very selfless way. He leads by example with his consistency,” Fernández said of Johnson, who put up his sixth game with at least 20 points this year, matching his total from all of last season.

Wilson got the call to duty when Thomas bowed out with lower-back tightness just prior to tip-off.

Making his fourth career start and first this year, the 6-foot-6 Kansas alum drained 6-of-13 shots, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, for a season-high 17 points.

But winning time went to Watford, an unlikely candidate considering he was competing in just his second game of the year after sitting out the first 12 with hamstring issues.

The 6-foot-8 power forward finished with 10 points off the bench, but put up the final seven Brooklyn registered along with a pair of key blocks as the Nets (6-9, 1-1 Group A East) handed the Hornets (5-9, 0-2) their sixth consecutive road defeat.

“He was very impactful. Very happy that he had the game that he had,” Fernández said of Watford.

Brandon Miller scored 29 points and Miles Bridges added 21 for Charlotte, which is likely out of serious Cup contention with the New York Knicks and Orlando Magic boasting 2-0 marks in the four-game group stage.

LaMelo Ball, who ranked fifth in the NBA in scoring with 29.7 points per game coming in, was limited to 12 on 3-of-11 shooting by the tenacious Brooklyn defense one day after being fined $100,000 by the NBA for making offensive, anti-gay comments following Sunday’s loss in Cleveland.

Despite keeping Ball in check, the Nets hardly seemed poised to end their worst stretch of the campaign.

They fell behind 37-23 after one quarter and trailed 42-25 when Miller scored with 10:05 remaining in the second.

But Brooklyn rallied to pull within five points prior to intermission and put together a 20-4 burst following halftime to open a 74-63 lead with 6:40 left in the third quarter.

Tre Mann’s soaring, highlight-reel dunk gave the Hornets an early edge, but the Nets came roaring back in the second half Tuesday night in Brooklyn. AP Photo by Seth Wenig

Fernández refused to take credit for his team’s resilience in the face of an early deficit.

“They did it on their own,” he said. “We were giving them too much cushion. We got punished for not starting the right way. But we bounced back.”

So did the Hornets, who overcame that deficit and forged ahead, 100-95, on Miller’s 27-footer with 7:57 to play.

Johnson splashed a 3-ball to knot the contest at 100 less than a minute later and a game of runs became a back-and-forth affair before Watford took control.

After feeding Johnson for a 28-footer that put the Nets in front to stay, he blocked Josh Green’s bid for a go-ahead basket, hit a pair of free throws and converted a three-point play to stretch Brooklyn’s advantage to five with 1:10 left on the clock.

Watford scored the ball again to make it 116-111 with 38.2 ticks remaining.

“That’s what he does,” Wilson said of Watford. “We all trust him and have the confidence in him to make a play.”

Charlotte did have an opportunity to force overtime, but Miller’s 25-footer clanged off before Grant Williams’ tip-in left the Hornets one-point shy at the buzzer.

Dorian Finney-Smith had 16 points and Dennis Schroder added 14 and a game-high 12 assists for Brooklyn, which will continue Cup play Friday night in Philadelphia at 7 p.m. in the opener of a four-game road trip.

“This is the playoffs,” Wilson said shortly after the Nets hung on. “We got it together, started playing our style of ball.”

With the game on the line, Trendon Watford made every clutch play the Nets needed to keep their NBA Cup hopes alive in Downtown Brooklyn. AP Photo by Seth Wenig

NOTHING BUT NET: Thomas was a game-time decision to sit out and is listed as day-to-day. “He was not feeling good,” Fernández revealed. “We have a next-man-up mentality. We need Cam back. We want Cam back. … After going 18-of-49 from the field in his first seven games this month, Wilson has caught fire. He has made 13-of-26 over his last three games, including 9-of-17 from long range. “I’m feeling good. I’m feeling blessed,” Wilson said of his recent shooting spree. … After visiting the City of Brotherly Love Friday, the Nets will start a three-game western swing in Sacramento on Sunday. They will be at Golden State Monday and Phoenix Wednesday. Brooklyn’s final group-stage Cup game will be back at Barclays on Nov. 29 vs. Orlando.