With an Eastern Conference play-in tournament spot sealed up, the Charlotte Hornets came to Brooklyn chasing a higher seed, and perhaps even a spot in the coveted top six.
The Nets couldn’t keep up.
Brandon Miller scored 16 of his 25 points in the first 12 minutes as Charlotte soared in front and never looked back en route to a 117-86 victory over Brooklyn in front of 18,027 fans at Downtown’s Barclays Center.
Miller splashed three of his four made 3-pointers during the first-quarter burst, and even knocked down a trio of free throws following a miss from beyond the arc.
He also fed LaMelo Ball for a 3-ball as the Hornets (40-36) took control right away with a 35-18 lead before Brooklyn began to cut into the deficit.
The Nets did shave the deficit to nine with five minutes to go in the second quarter, but ultimately found themselves down by as many as 35 on a night they were trying to build on Sunday’s stirring win over Sacramento that snapped a season high-tying 10-game losing streak.
Miles Bridges put up 19 points and Moussa Diabate added 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for Charlotte, which pulled even with idle Miami for ninth place in the East.
Josh Minott scored a team-high 14 points off the bench Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough as the Nets lost to the Hornets at Barclays Center. Photo: Frank Franklin II/AP
The Hornets also moved within three games of Atlanta for the sixth spot, which would take them out of the play-in and move them into a best-of-7 first-round playoff series while the 7-10 seeds fought it out for the final two spots.
The 86 points were the least allowed by Charlotte this season as Brooklynn shot a dismal 38% from the field, including 7-of-35 from long range.
Josh Minott continued his audition for next year by scoring a team-high 14 points off the bench for the Nets, who got outscored in the paint (52-40) and only managed nine points off Hornets turnovers while surrendering 18 off their own giveaways.
G-League call-up Chaney Johnson added 11 points in a reserve role while starters Ziaire Williams, Drake Powell and Nolan Traoré chipped in 10 apiece for Brooklyn, which will not host a postseason contest for the third straight year.
“It’s all part of the process, and hopefully a year from now, two years from now, we can look back and laugh (at) these hard days and losing streaks,” noted Williams.
Though they couldn’t play spoiler against the Hornets, the Nets can do Charlotte a favor on Friday night, when they host sixth-place Atlanta at Barclays.
Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.
The game will air locally on the YES Network.
Nolan Traoré teamed with Drake Powell as Brooklyn featured an all-rookie backcourt Tuesday vs. Charlotte. Photo: Frank Franklin II/AP
NOTHING BUT NET: Noah Clowney had a rough night for Brooklyn, going 1-of-6 from the floor and missing all four of his 3-pointers. … The rookie starting backcourt of Powell and Traoré combined for 20 points, 11 assists and five turnovers. Fellow first-rounder Danny Wolf continued to sit for the fifth straight game with a sprained ankle. … After hosting the Hawks, the Nets will welcome Washington to the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush at 3:30 p.m.