Charlotte Hornets (40-36) beat Brooklyn Nets (18-58) 117-86 on the road on Tuesday, March 31. The final margin was 31 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Hornets struck first, taking the opening quarter 35-18 and a 17-point lead after one. The Nets cut into the deficit with a 27-23 second quarter, though the Hornets still led by 13 at halftime.
The Hornets won the third 31-18 to create some separation, taking a 26-point lead into the fourth. The Hornets took the fourth 28-23; the Hornets finished the job for a 117-86 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Hornets grabbed 34.2% of their own misses, while the Nets recovered 12.8%. The Hornets got more from their shots, finishing at 54% effective field-goal shooting compared with 43.2% for the Nets. The second chances kept adding up.
The Nets did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 31.5 against 26.4. The Hornets made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 95 possessions per team, the Hornets produced 123.2 points per 100 possessions to 90.6 for the Nets.
Who stood out
Miles Bridges was the game's biggest individual force for CHA: 19 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl on 7-12 shooting. His Game Score of 22.2 led everyone. His team was +27 with him on the floor.
Moussa Diabate (10 pts, 12 reb, 1 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Hornets about a 80% chance.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, Brooklyn Nets lead 4-2.
The Hornets are now 40-36, and the Nets are 18-58. The Hornets last five before this game: W-W-W-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.