Dennis Schröder led the Charlotte Hornets to victory against the Brooklyn Nets, featuring Moritz Wagner. The German point guard was particularly impressive in the fourth quarter, whilst Hannes Steinbach will have to wait for his NBA debut.
Dennis Schröder scored eight of his 19 points (7/13 FG) in the fourth quarter, whilst also adding six assists for the Braunschweig native, who was given a starting place for just under 35 minutes in the absence of the injured Coby White. Schröder took it easy for much of the game, but in the closing stages the German became significantly more aggressive and repeatedly found ways to the basket.
Rookie Christian Anderson Jr. was Schröder’s backup, playing the remaining 13 minutes and coming off the bench as the first substitute. Although the youngster failed to score (0/3 FG), he was tenacious in defence with two steals and also provided two assists. Hannes Steinbach, on the other hand, was not in the rotation; instead, Ryan Kalkbrenner (4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks) was given playing time as the second centre.
At the other end, Moritz Wagner made his debut for the Nets; in 16 minutes, the Berlin native scored seven points (1/3 FG, 4/4 FT) and provided one assist. For Brooklyn, Julius Randle (33, 11/18 FG, 8 rebounds, 7 assists) and Michael Porter Jr. (26, 5/11 three-pointers) were the only players to score in double figures.
Schröder’s run puts the Hornets on the road to victory
By contrast, five players for the visitors scored at least 17 points, with Grayson Allen (21) – who sank five three-pointers – leading the scoring. Although the Hornets shot just 44 per cent from the field, they grabbed 15 offensive rebounds (20 second-chance points) and took a whopping 48 three-point attempts (15 made). Former Wolves big man Naz Reid shone with 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, whilst big man Moussa Diabate (17) recorded five steals.
By the middle of the fourth quarter, however, the lead stood at just four points; that was when Schröder stepped up, virtually single-handedly deciding the game during this phase. Within 90 seconds, the German orchestrated an 8–2 run, during which Schröder drove to the basket three times with ease to establish a double-digit lead. Allen’s fifth three-pointer, with 40 seconds remaining, sealed the victory.
The Hornets now head back home, where they will play three consecutive home games. Their opponents will be Atlanta, Miami and Washington. The Nets are away to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.