Miller's First-Quarter Explosion Sends Charlotte Past Brooklyn, 110-103
Brandon Miller torched Brooklyn for 18 points, including three three-pointers in a stunning first-quarter stretch that turned a 9-11 deficit into a lead Charlotte never surrendered. Julius Randle poured in 33 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists for the Nets, but it wasn't enough to dig out of the hole Charlotte carved early.
Brooklyn looked sharp out of the gate — Randle, Day'Ron Sharpe, and Egor Demin combined to push the Nets to a 6-0 lead before Charlotte even got on the board. Michael Porter Jr. hit a 24-footer to stretch it to 9-2, and things looked comfortable at home. Then Miller happened. Starting at the 5:00 mark of the first quarter, Miller rattled off 12 consecutive Charlotte points — a pullup, a 23-footer off a Grayson Allen feed, another three from 24 feet, and a driving floater — turning a 12-9 Nets lead into a 21-12 Charlotte advantage in under two minutes of game time. Grayson Allen added free throws, and Moussa Diabate capped the quarter with a dunk to send Charlotte into the second up 27-23.
The second quarter was a back-and-forth grind, but Charlotte kept finding answers every time Brooklyn threatened. Randle hit a 25-foot three to cut it to 34-32, and Brooklyn clawed within seven at 41-34 before Allen — who finished with 21 points and 4 assists — buried a 25-foot running pullup and then a 9-foot floater to push the lead back to seven. Naz Reid was the quiet engine throughout, finishing with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Dennis Schroder's 19 points and 6 assists kept Charlotte's offense organized and moving.
The moment that looks like it sealed it came in the third quarter: with Brooklyn's win probability sitting at 34%, Allen drilled a 31-foot running pullup jumper at the 3:03 mark, swinging Brooklyn's win probability down to 23% — an 11-point swing in a single possession. That's the kind of shot that breaks a team's spirit. Porter Jr. gave Brooklyn everything he had — 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals — but Charlotte's depth was the difference. Four Hornets finished in double figures, and the Nets simply couldn't match that balance. Brooklyn's rotation was also notably thin, with Terance Mann among eight players sitting out as coach's decisions. Charlotte wins it 110-103.