Terry Rozier scored a season-high 37 points and hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:38 remaining in the fourth quarter to lift the visiting Charlotte Hornets to a 129-128 victory over the Brooklyn Nets Thursday night.
Missing LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller due to sprained ankles, the Hornets had their highest point total this season and hit a season-high 21 3s.
Rozier hit seven of those 3s, including two clutch triples in the final three-plus minutes.
The Nets held a 120-117 lead when Mikal Bridges made an uncontested layup with 3:52 left. On the next possession, Rozier got a pass from Gordon Hayward along the baseline, shook free of Cameron Johnson and hit an open 3 from the right side for a 120-120 tie.
The game stayed tied until Rozier hit another 3 and then Charlotte held on. After Rozier’s final trey, the Nets were within one point four times including when Nic Claxton hit a putback with 29.4 seconds left.
Following Rozier’s missed 20-footer with eight seconds left, Johnson missed a 3-point with 2.8 seconds to end a game that had 14 lead changes and 11 ties.
Rozier made 13 of 25 shots and handed out 13 assists as the Hornets shot 50.5 percent. Miles Bridges added 23 points, Gordon Hayward contributed 22 while Bryce McGowens chipped in 14 and Mark Williams finished with 12 and 12 boards for the Hornets.
Cam Thomas scored 26 points in his return from missing eight games with an ankle sprain but the Nets’ three-game winning streak was stopped. Bridges added 22 and Nic Claxton collected 20 and 14 rebounds as the Nets shot 49.5 percent.
The Nets scored 22 points in the paint and shot 57.1 percent to take a 37-31 lead through the opening quarter. Brooklyn took a 10-point lead in the opening minute of the second but the Hornets hit seven 3s in the quarter and held a 73-71 lead by halftime.
Brooklyn regained the lead late in the third and entered the fourth with a 106-102 margin after Trendon Watford’s layup beat the buzzer but could not make enough plays down the stretch.
–Field Level Media
