Sports
Reid’s double-double helps Charlotte open season with 110-103 win over Brooklyn
Naz Reid scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in his Charlotte debut as the Hornets beat the Nets on Wednesday night. Dennis Schröder helped preserve the lead late, while Grayson Allen’s 3-pointer in the final minute sealed the win.
Naz Reid made an immediate impact in his Charlotte debut, scoring 20 points and collecting 11 rebounds as the Hornets beat the Brooklyn Nets 110-103 on Wednesday night in New York.
Grayson Allen led Charlotte with 21 points off the bench. Dennis Schröder scored 19, including eight in the fourth quarter, while Brandon Miller added 18 and Moussa Diabate had 17.
The Hornets entered the season opener short-handed, with starters Coby White sidelined by a left calf strain and shooting guard Kon Knueppel out with a right hamstring strain. Knueppel led the NBA in 3-pointers made last season. Charlotte was eliminated from the Eastern Conference play-in tournament last season.
Brooklyn cut Charlotte’s 10-point advantage to five heading into the final quarter. Michael Porter Jr. brought the Nets within 94-90 on a floater with 7:20 remaining, but Schröder answered with eight points in a 10-2 stretch, ending it with a layup that put Charlotte ahead 102-92 with 5:38 left.
Julius Randle, who scored 33 points on 11-for-18 shooting in his Nets debut, made a three-point play with 1:16 to go to give Brooklyn a chance to pull closer. But Egor Demin’s turnover led to Allen’s 3-pointer, which helped put the game out of reach. Porter finished with 26 points.
Charlotte acquired Reid in an offseason trade that sent LaMelo Ball to Minnesota. Schröder also made his debut for his 12th NBA team. Brooklyn’s Mikel Brown Jr., the sixth pick in the draft, had six points and three assists in 20 minutes off the bench.