It looked ominous for the Nets to see leading scorer Cam Thomas' status gradually downgraded throughout the day from available to probable to questionable, then out 20 minutes before tipoff. They were already short on players, with center Nick Claxton absent.
He had already suffered three consecutive losses.
It was a near-.500 start, more promising than rebuilding prospects had suggested, but it quickly began to crumble.
But the Nets found a way to replicate Thomas' performance, with Cam Johnson scoring a season-high 34 points on 11-of-20 shooting and relying on a balanced offense to overcome an ugly start against the Hornets. , taking advantage of Charlotte's 23 points. They committed a turnover and escaped 116-115 as the NBA Cup returned Tuesday night at Barclays Center.
Jalen Wilson, making his first start of the season in place of Thomas, scored 17 points, and Ben Simmons scored a season-high 10 points.
“He was big, he was energetic,” Trendon Watford said of Johnson. “Honestly, he's just hoo-hooing. … I'm not surprised about it at all. Last year was last year. He obviously heard all the noise and discounted it and came back. . And now he's doing what we know CJ can do.”
Even after Watford scored seven straight points to give the Nets a five-point lead with 38 seconds left, Brooklyn (6-9) still had to overcome some confusion in the final two minutes.
Brandon Miller hit a jumper and Cody Martin blocked for Watford, giving Charlotte (5-9) a chance to pull within three points in the final seconds.
Miller's wild heave missed the rim.
That's how the Nets won.
Brandon Miller during the Nets win. Robert Szabo of the New York Post
Thomas' absence was a last-minute surprise, with head coach Jordi Fernandes admitting before the game that he thought the star guard was “good” but wanted to see what would happen in warm-ups.
Thomas felt cramped Sunday against the Knicks, but played through it in the second half, Fernandez said.
“He wasn't feeling well,” Fernandes said, but added that “no big deal” with Thomas. “We told him, obviously, we're not going to risk anything.” he said.
As a result, Johnson remained at the center of the Nets offense, scoring 20 or more points for the sixth game this season, matching his point total from last season.
The winger has remained healthy, although injuries limited him at the beginning and end of the 2023-24 season.
While maintaining their 3-point advantage, they created chances and expanded their scoring sources.
And it all came to light while trying to ignore the trade rumors that have been going on all season and will continue to happen.
“Rhythm is really important, especially as a shooter,” Johnson said. “It's hard to miss time and come back and think everything's going to be fine. But no matter what happens, no matter what challenges are thrown at me, I keep playing my game and getting on the board. Just try to get some wins.”
Johnson made two jumpers and briefly took the lead in the second half.
He hit a 3 to give the Nets a 72-63 lead, and as the Hornets erased their own deficit and took the lead in the fourth, Johnson made another shot from beyond the arc with 7:15 to go. I tied the score. left.
The 34 points were the most since Johnson scored 38 points on March 4, 2022, with the Suns.
However, the game played out as expected for the Nets, who were without two starters in the early going.
The Hornets increased their lead to 11-2, called a timeout on Fernandez less than two minutes into the game, and led by 16 points seven minutes into the second frame.
The Nets fought back and didn't take the lead until early in the second half, but Wilson's threes kept the lead from insurmountable.
“They did it on their own,” Fernandez said of the Nets' early goals. “They know we didn't start well. Our physicality wasn't good. We gave them too much cushion. … And because we didn't start on the right path. was punished.”
But even in a rebuilding year, there are still teams for the Nets to beat.
The Nets still must not lose to a lower-ranked team.
And with this win, they stay alive in the NBA Cup chase, with games against the 76ers on Friday and the Magic on November 29th.
In the process, they discovered a blueprint for surviving without their leading scorer.
