CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Hornets had the worst losing streak in the NBA.
But Saturday night in Brooklyn was even worse. Much worse.
Nets is apparently an uplifting game for everyone else.
Despite the return of Cam Thomas, they lost 110-99 to Charlotte in front of a sold-out Spectrum Center crowd of 19,090, a heartbreaking defeat that tested not just talent but temperament.
Brooklyn’s lack of grit was a concern.
However, a warning bell rang in the match against the Hornets (16 wins, 48 losses), who had fallen into a league-worst six-game losing streak.
Something noisy.
The Nets (25-39) led by as many as 12 points early on after Thomas returned from a sprained ankle, but they conceded. And when they came back, there was little struggle to get back inside them.
Stuck at a 48-point stalemate with five minutes left in the second quarter, Brooklyn watched Charlotte end the first half on a 15-4 run, including the final nine points unanswered.
The Nets didn’t have a legitimate answer in the second half either.
They never took the lead again, or even got even.
Brooklyn is 4 1/2 games behind sleepy Atlanta for the Eastern Conference’s final play-in spot, with 18 games left on the schedule.
And they have no one to blame but themselves and their poor defense.
They allowed 24 points to Miles Bridges and shot .543 percent overall, the fourth-best mark they allowed all season.
And it was a series of line drives to the basket that ruined the offensive momentum gained with Thomas’ return.
In his first game since Feb. 26, Thomas looked like he had never been away. He scored a game-high 31 points on 12-of-24 shooting and 5-of-10 shooting.
Thomas, who had missed the previous six games, couldn’t miss an early shot. He made 7 of 8 early and 3 of 4 from deep.
But after he scored 17 points in the first period (the fourth-highest net score this season), the team was outscored 32-17 in the second period.
Thomas scored seven points on 3-of-3 shooting in less than two minutes, leading Brooklyn to a 9-2 lead.
Dennis Schroder (12 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds) hit a driving layup to extend the lead to 28-18 at the 4:16 mark of the first period.
However, Brooklyn ended the first game with a 15-7 deficit. And soon they could not lead at all.
With five minutes left in the first half, the score was tied at 48-all, and the Hornets were outscored 15-4.
A turnover and dunk by Brandon Miller (23 points, 6 rebounds) led them to the break at 63-52.
And the Nets were essentially broken.
They were never evenly matched. Trailing 68-58, they managed a 14-6 run to get within deuce, but just couldn’t get close.
The Nets conceded 12-4 and trailed by double digits, pulling the game away.
Davis Bertans’ three points made it 86-76, and the Hornets shut out the Nets.
Brooklyn plays at Cleveland on Sunday.
