Hornets at Nets
The Brooklyn Nets followed up a 30-point home loss with an impressive win and are still trying to figure out what kind of team they are on a nightly basis. The Nets will try to find some consistency and put together back-to-back wins for the first time this season when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.
Brooklyn is adjusting to a new offense under first-year coach Kenny Atkinson and looks explosive when the ball is moving and shots are dropping from the outside. Atkinson's system invites the big men to test themselves from long range, and even back-to-the-basket force Brook Lopez got into the action with four 3-pointers in the 109-101 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. The Hornets can fire away from beyond the arc as well and knocked down 13 3-pointers in a 109-93 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. Nicolas Batum buried three 3-pointers in a 17-point third quarter during a breakout effort after shooting 27 percent from the field in the first three games of the season.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Charlotte), YES (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE HORNETS (3-1): Charlotte has big men that can shoot from the outside as well in centers Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky, and Kaminsky is 3-of-9 from beyond the arc in the last two games after sitting out the first two contests with a sprained right foot. Zeller scored in double figures in three of the first four games and is shooting 64 percent from the floor but was quick to point to defense as the key to the team's success. “It all starts on the defensive end for us," Zeller told the team's website after the win over Philadelphia. "We had 15 deflections in the first half and 17 in the third quarter alone. Deflections are a big thing in charting our defensive activity. That’s what we’re going to need moving forward."
ABOUT THE NETS (2-3): Lopez never hit multiple 3-pointers in a game before Wednesday, when he finished with 34 points and 11 rebounds. With production from the middle consistent, the biggest problem facing Brooklyn is a rash of injuries at the point guard spot, where Greivis Vasquez (ankle), Caris LeVert (foot) and Randy Foye (hamstring) are all out. Jeremy Lin, who left Charlotte for Brooklyn over the summer to be the starting point guard, joined those three on Wednesday when he left the game with a hamstring injury.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Hornets C Roy Hibbert (knee soreness) and G Jeremy Lamb (hamstring) sat out Wednesday and are day-to-day.
2. Brooklyn reserve G Sean Kilpatrick is averaging 16.6 points after pouring in 24 on Wednesday.
3. Charlotte took all four meetings last season.