NEW YORK, Oct 25 (US): The LaMelo Ball did well in the first three quarters in Brooklyn, then decided it was best to watch the fourth.
Ash Smith was rolling so well that Rookie of the Year told Charlotte coach James Borrego to stick with that backup.
“That’s big. It just shows where we’ve grown,” said Miles Bridges. “As long as he’s mature and we’re all mature, we’ll keep winning.”
The Associated Press reports that the Hornets have never done so well to start a season.
Bridges scored 32 points and nine rebounds, Smith added 11 of 15 points in the fourth quarter and the Hornets improved to 3-0 for the first time with a 111-95 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
Paul scored 18 points, six rebounds and five assists, but it was the Hornets’ defenses that led them into a dominant quarter-final. Cody Martin has scored eight of the 12 goals in the last 12 minutes.
Before that, it was another big night for Bridges, who took a second straight 30-point outing and finished a point shy of his career high.
Kevin Durant scored 38 points for the Nets, who slipped to 1-2. James Harden scored 15 points, 8 assists and seven rebounds for Brooklyn.
It was a disappointing home opening as protesters appeared outside the plaza supporting network guard Kerry Irving and protesting against the mandate of the vaccine in New York.
The Nets are not allowing Irving to play while he is not vaccinated against COVID-19, which is what the city state states that professional athletes who play for a local team should do.
Brooklyn sure seemed to need Irving on a night when no one besides Durant, who shot 17-for-24, got into any sort of flow.
Durant disagreed.
“It’s three games,” Durant said. “Of course, we’ve had enough.”
“We definitely want Keri Irving here on the ground and it’s a big part of what we’re doing, but it’s not happening now. So we have to figure that out. But nobody will lose confidence while playing and hopefully Kerry will come and save us during the game. No, you have to play.”
The Hornets won their first two games largely through their attack, with the team’s best 246 points in their first two games. This was done through the defense, and he beat the net 61-37 in the second half.
“To get this team to 95 points is very special,” Smith said.
“Obviously we scored in the previous two games in under 120 seconds, but tonight defensively we did a great job, especially in that fourth quarter.”
Topping by four, he broke it open with a 10-5 spurt, and Smith and Martin scored all the points. Charlotte paid 14 for 22 (63.6%) in the fourth quarter.
Hints
Hornets: The Hornets played without Terry Rosier due to a sprained ankle. …Charlotte outperformed Brooklyn 29-20 in the third quarter. It was the first time the Hornets were under 30 in this period, having scored a league-best 69 points in the third quarter through two games.
Nets: Patty Mills missed his first four three-pointers after starting 10-10 this season. …Brooklyn opened a home of six games. The nets followed that up with a six-game road trip. … The Nets were 28-8 at home last season, their best win percentage in Brooklyn.
protest on the scene
A small group of protesters broke through the barricades and made their way to the front entrance to Barclays Center, forcing circuit officials to close the doors briefly while fans were trying to get in. A spokeswoman for the arena said that “only guests who booked their tickets were able to enter the building and the game continued according to schedule.”
Comfort Rules
The Nets gave Blake Griffin a night off in their opening game for the first time of the season. Coach Steve Nash said he’s not worried about having to sit down for Durant when the Nets play back-to-back nights, which he did early last season after the 2019-20 All-Star striker missed recovering from Achilles tendon surgery.
“I think we feel more comfortable playing with him. He’s had more than enough time since the injury, since the comeback. He’s proven he can handle that,” Nash said. “Now would I like to pick some spots to be able to protect him this year? Of course, but it’s not as equivalent as it was last year.”
the following
Hornets: Host Boston on Monday night.
Nets: Washington hosts Monday night.