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In the past few days, the Brooklyn Nets decided to keep Cameron Johnson ahead of the trade deadline and waived Ben Simmons.

On the floor, the Nets played one of their best defensive games of the season, and they’re in their best stretch of 2025 heading into Monday’s visit from the Charlotte Hornets.

The Nets are 4-1 in their past five games since enduring a seven-game losing streak and dropping 12 of 13. In their four recent wins, the Nets held each opponent below 100 points and didn’t let any of them shoot better than 41 percent.

The recent hot stretch began with a 104-83 victory at Charlotte on Jan. 29, when the Nets allowed their fewest points this season and held the Hornets to 33.7 percent from the field. The latest victory was an impressive 102-86 decision over the Miami Heat on Friday night, when the Nets ended with a 31-9 fourth quarter, allowed 35.6 percent shooting (including 2 of 21 in the fourth) and blocked a season-best 13 shots.

“It’s gonna be hard to hold teams to nine points in a quarter, but I just think we were just locked in,” said Trendon Watford, who inherited Brooklyn’s backup point guard role after Simmons was waived on Saturday. “We were just locked in the whole game, and we just upped it in the fourth quarter.”

Johnson led the Nets with 18 points after scoring 17 on Wednesday in his return from an ankle injury. D’Angelo Russell added 17 and had a block on a 3-pointer that led to Keon Johnson’s late dunk.

The Nets are also seeing an uptick in Nic Claxton’s performance. Claxton reached double figures for the fourth time in five games with 12 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, two shy of the season high he set in Charlotte.

The Hornets are 2-9 in their past 11 since winning three straight by a combined 12 points Jan. 15-20.

Charlotte lost six straight before Miles Bridges hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with one second left in Friday’s 117-116 win over the visiting San Antonio Spurs. The Hornets were unable to follow it up with another win on Sunday, however. They trailed the Detroit Pistons by as many as 28 points early, whittled the lead to two with about eight minutes left in the game, but fell 112-102 in the opener of nine straight road games.

Bridges scored 30 points and is averaging 24 points in his past nine. Seth Curry added a season-high 26, but Charlotte allowed 39 points in the opening quarter and a 66-point opening half before satisfying first-year coach Charles Lee with an improved final 24 minutes.

“We grew (Sunday),” Lee said. “We got a lot better. I love the process. I love the communication, and I love to see guys being in those moments to be able to grow and learn what it’s like and what they can do better.”

Charlotte took its latest loss with a short-handed lineup that was missing LaMelo Ball (ankle). Ball was originally questionable but sat out for the seventh time in 10 games and the Hornets dropped to 1-17 without him this season.

Ball was held to 12 points in the first meeting when Brooklyn escaped with a 116-115 home win on Nov. 19. If he is unable to play, KJ Simpson would likely start.

The Hornets also were without Mark Williams, whose trade to the Los Angeles Lakers was rescinded because of a reported failed physical. Williams is averaging 15.6 points in 23 games this season but may be out again Monday.

–Field Level Media