Simmons Leads Hornets to Bounce-Back Win Over Brooklyn

November 4, 2016

Hornets 92, Nets 79 (Barclays Center – Brooklyn, NY)

Coming off their first loss of the season in Philadelphia, the Charlotte Hornets responded with a gritty, defensive-minded win over the Brooklyn Nets, led once again by their rookie sensation, Ben Simmons.

Simmons stuffed the stat sheet once more, leading Charlotte to a 92-79 victory at Barclays Center. While the game wasn’t always pretty, the Hornets controlled the pace and locked in defensively, holding Brooklyn under 80 points for the night.

Simmons Bounces Back

After an inefficient and frustrating night against the Sixers, Ben Simmons rebounded in a big way, putting up a double-double and leading Charlotte in nearly every category.

Final stat line:

• 31 points (15-31 FG, 1-3 FT)

• 12 assists

• 9 rebounds

• 4 steals

• 2 blocks

Unlike the previous game, Simmons attacked smarter, using his size to get easy baskets in the paint and finding teammates when Brooklyn’s defense collapsed on him.

“This was about responding,” Simmons said postgame. “Philly wasn’t my best game. Tonight, I wanted to set the tone early.”

And he did.

Simmons opened the game with three straight baskets, forcing Brooklyn to adjust defensively—which only freed up his teammates for open shots.

Marvin Williams Stays Hot

Veteran forward Marvin Williams quietly had another strong performance, finishing with 14 points and going a perfect 2-of-2 from deep.

His ability to stretch the floor continued to be a huge factor for Charlotte, as Simmons’ drives created open looks for him.

“When Ben’s attacking like that, my job’s easy,” Williams said. “Just spot up, be ready, and knock down shots.”

Cody Zeller Provides Energy Off the Bench

For the second straight game, Cody Zeller made a strong impact, finishing with 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Zeller’s effort on the glass helped Charlotte maintain control in the second half, as Brooklyn struggled to generate second-chance opportunities.

“Cody’s hustle plays don’t always show up in the box score,” head coach Steve Clifford said. “But he’s been huge for us.”

Hornets’ Defense Stifles the Nets

Brooklyn, playing without any true star players, couldn’t find a rhythm offensively.

The Hornets held the Nets to just 79 points, making it their best defensive performance of the season.

• Brook Lopez struggled against Charlotte’s interior defense, finishing with just 14 points on 6-of-17 shooting.

• Jeremy Lin, facing his former team, was ineffective, managing just 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting.

Charlotte’s length and versatility on defense completely disrupted Brooklyn’s offense, forcing bad shots and turnovers throughout the night.

The Aftermath

With the win, the Hornets improved to 4-1, regaining their momentum after the Sixers loss.

Simmons continued to prove that, despite being a rookie, he was the leader of this team.

“This is how we need to play every night,” Simmons said. “Tough defense, move the ball, and just go out and dominate.”

Charlotte had bounced back in a big way, and with Simmons leading the charge, they were looking dangerous.