By Matt Gorry, hornets.com
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The Result
Coming off a draining double-overtime loss to Memphis the night before, the Hornets never found their groove against Brooklyn, falling 114-87 on Dec. 13 at Time Warner Cable Arena.
Turning Points
A slow start ultimately doomed Charlotte, which fell behind by as much as 18 in a first quarter that was dominated by the Nets. Behind Joe Johnson (14 points on 6-of-9 shooting) Brooklyn shot 59.1 percent (13-of-12) from the floor and 5-of-6 (83.3 percent) from long range in the frame to put the game out reach in a hurry. The Hornets showed some signs of life in the second, trimming the lead down to seven on a Kemba Walker 3-pointer, but Deron Williams knocked down a pair of free throws to push it back out to 10 (52-42) at the break. Brooklyn ended any chance of a Hornet comeback with a 17-7 spurt to open the third and led from start to finish.
Inside the Box Score
Brooklyn shot lights out in the game, hitting on 58.3 percent (42-of-72) of its shots, including a blistering 70-percent mark from long range (16-of-23)… The Hornets finished 31-of-79 (39.2 percent) from the floor and 8-of-22 (36.4 percent) from deep… Michael Kidd-Gilchrist led Charlotte with 15 points and five boards in nearly 28 minutes of action… Brian Roberts added 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting off the bench… Lance Stephenson and Kemba Walker finished with 11 points apiece and were the only two starters in double figures.
Hornets Player of the Game
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist finished with a team-high 15 points off the bench to go with five rebounds, an assist and a steal.
Nets Player of the Game
Joe Johnson came out on fire, scoring 14 points in the first quarter, finishing with 22 on 9-of-16 shooting to go with six rebounds and four assists.
Game Notes
Al Jefferson finished with eight points and five rebounds, ending his streak of 11 games with double-digit scoring… Gerald Henderson added six points but only took shots in 15 minutes of play… Cody Zeller had one point, four rebounds and two assists in the starting lineup… Gary Neal hit on 50 percent (4-of-8) of his shots for nine points… Marvin Williams added five points and two rebounds… Bismack Biyombo grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds to go with four points… Jannero Pargo added three points off the bench… P.J. Hairston returned after missing the last two games after a one-game ban.
Next Up
The Hornets head to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies on Dec. 12. The game can be seen on FOX SportSouth or be heard on WFNZ or on the Official Charlotte Hornets mobile app.