The Brooklyn Nets host the Charlotte Hornets at the Barclays Center on Tuesday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The Nets are 18-57 and 13th in the East with a 10-26 home record, while the Hornets are 39-36 and 10th in the East with a 19-19 road record.
The Nets ended a 10-game losing streak with a 116-99 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. The Hornets are coming off a 114-99 loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday as well, their second straight loss. This is their third and final encounter of the season, with their season record being dead-even at 1-1 after the Nets avenged their opening week loss with a 116-103 win over the Hornets on December 1, 2025.
The Nets are led by Michael Porter Jr., who has averaged 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists this season, but is currently out with an injury as the Nets are also tanking. The next best option on the court is Nicolas Claxton, averaging 11.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, although he’s a defense-first option.
The Hornets are led by LaMelo Ball, who’s averaging 19.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.0 assists this season, proving he can be a productive lead guard on a winning franchise. Rookie Kon Knueppel is hoping the Hornets’ Playoff push can help him secure the Rookie of the Year, averaging 18.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists this season.
This is a must-win matchup for the Hornets, as their two-game losing streak saw them go from on the bubble of the No. 6 seed to the sole occupant of the No. 10 seed. The Nets have been one of the least competitive teams in the NBA, and it’ll be a shame if the Hornets drop this to extend their losing streak to three games.
Injury Report
Nets
Michael Porter Jr.: Out (hamstring)
Danny Wolf: Out (ankle)
Terance Mann: Out (achilles)
Egor Demin: Out (foot)
Day’Ron Sharpe: Out (thumb)
Hornets
N/A
Why The Nets Have The Advantage
The Nets commit the second-most turnovers in the NBA (15.9 TOPG), but the Hornets are one of the worst teams in the NBA when it comes to forcing turnovers (7.0 SPG). This might cover up one of their biggest on-court weaknesses, but there aren’t many strengths that the Nets can rely on when it comes to this game.
They have to hope that lineup unpredictability is what gives them their advantage in this game. It’s hard to have a defined game plan against the Nets, given the lack of consistency between strong performances. They can’t statistically rely on their league-worst shooting or their porous defense, but they can hope that they have a strong shooting night or force the Hornets into having a bad scoring night.
Why The Hornets Have The Advantage
The Nets are the worst-scoring team in the NBA (106.3) by some margin and also have the worst offensive rating (108.7). They also have the fifth-worst defensive rating in the league with a 117.8, so the Hornets as a top-five offense (118.2) and a top-15 defense (113.8), shouldn’t have a problem breaking this team down. This also factors in the fact that the Hornets are coming into this game entirely healthy. The Hornets are also a top-five rebounding (46.3 RPG) team and a slightly better shot-blocking team at the rim (4.5 BPG)
The Hornets have been one of the three-point shooting teams in the NBA all season. While that’s vaulted by the historic rookie performances Knueppel has had, it’s a team-wide strategy to maximize three-pointers.
Outside of that, the Hornets are comprehensively the better three-point shooting team than the Knicks. They’re perhaps the best in the NBA, shooting 42.9 three-pointers per game (2nd) while converting at a 38.0% clip (3rd). The Hornets can easily pull away as an outside shooting unit alone, but they’ll have multiple arenas of offense to try to attack the Nets. Claxton’s presence inside might force them to use their shooting as their biggest advantage, provided the Nets even put up a fight.
The Hornets’ form since January has slipped up with the last two losses, but the Nets provide an opportunity for them to storm back into form. Charlotte’s 118.2 offensive rating and 113.8 defensive rating prove they’re a genuine Playoff team, and they need this win over the Nets to keep their push for a top-six berth alive.
X-Factors
The Nets will give plenty of opportunity to former first-round pick Noah Clowney, who will play a key role as a two-way big man in the frontcourt. Clowney is averaging 12.4 points and 4.2 rebounds this season, as he’s trying to prove that he can be a foundational piece for the franchise going forward. Clowney could have a huge game as a scorer or defender if given ample opportunity, so the Nets could see the 21-year-old have a starring performance.
Ziaire Williams is actually one of the few vetrans on the Nets roster, with the 24-year-old averaging 10.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals this season. The forward hasn’t been able to prove his worth at the NBA level despite being a top draft pick a few years ago. He can provide strong two-way play if given extended minutes, provided it’s a night where he’s in an offensive rhythm.
Brandon Miller is the key scoring threat on the Hornets roster, averaging 20.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists this season. The three-level scorer has proven that he can play at a high-level whether he’s on or off the ball, making him a do-it-all offensive weapon who’s amid the best season of his three-year NBA career so far.
Coby White has been proving himself as one of the best trade deadline moves across the NBA, as the former Chicago Bulls guard is averaging 15.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists this season in 15 games with the Hornets. He’s already cemented himself as the team’s Sixth Man, while thriving in that role for a winning franchise for the first time in his career. The Nets are the kind of opponent he can easily shred on offense given their deficiewncies and his recent form.
Prediction
This isn’t hard to predict. The Hornets are better than the Nets in almost every facet of basketball this season. They score at a higher clip and do it more efficiently, while ensuring their opponents can’t score as easy. Their pressure on the glass is among the best in the NBA and their shooting has been so locked in this season that it’s single-handedly changes their fortunes. The Nets haven’t played motivated winning basketball in three months, so if they can spring an upset on the Hornets, it’ll truly be a massive surpsie.
Prediction: Nets 106, Hornets 122
