Naz Reid recorded 20 points and 11 rebounds in his Charlotte Hornets debut, while Grayson Allen scored 21 points off the bench to lead the short-handed team to a 110-103 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.
Reid shot 8-for-19 from the field, including four three-pointers, and added seven assists as Charlotte opened its season with a road win at Barclays Center. Allen went 6-for-9 from the field and made five of his eight attempts from beyond the arc, providing a scoring boost in 29 minutes off the bench.
Dennis Schroder added 19 points and six assists, while Brandon Miller scored 18 points and Moussa Diabate contributed 17 points and eight rebounds. The Hornets played without starting guard Coby White, who has a left calf strain, and Kon Knueppel, who was sidelined with a right hamstring strain.
Charlotte traded LaMelo Ball to Minnesota after last season in the deal that brought Reid to the Hornets. The team was eliminated from the Eastern Conference play-in tournament last season.
Brooklyn kept the game close throughout the first three quarters, cutting Charlotte’s 10-point advantage to five heading into the final period. Michael Porter Jr. made a floater with 7:20 remaining to pull the Nets within 94-90.
Schroder responded by scoring eight points in the fourth quarter, helping Charlotte restore control. His finger-roll layup extended the lead to 102-92 with 5:38 left.
The Nets made another push when Julius Randle completed a three-point play with 1:16 remaining, creating an opportunity to make it a one-possession game. However, Egor Demin’s turnover led to a three-pointer by Allen that sealed the result.
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Randle finished with 33 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in his Brooklyn debut, shooting 11-for-18 from the field. Porter added 26 points and seven rebounds, while no other Brooklyn starter reached double figures.
Rookie Mikel Brown Jr., selected sixth overall in the draft, recorded six points and three assists in 20 minutes off the bench.
The win gives Charlotte a 1-0 start ahead of its home opener against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. Brooklyn will visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.
