Hornets vs. Nets: Naz Reid shines in Charlotte debut as short-handed Hornets win 110-103

The Charlotte Hornets were missing their starting backcourt and still opened the season with a win. Naz Reid had 20 points and 11 rebounds in his first game for Charlotte, Grayson Allen scored 21 off the bench, and the Hornets beat the Brooklyn Nets 110-103 at Barclays Center on Wednesday night, Oct. 21. “Hornets vs nets” passed 50,000 US searches on Google Trends, with Reid and Brooklyn’s Julius Randle among the most-searched names.

Hornets vs. Nets: final score and player stats

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Final
Hornets	27	27	32	24	110
Nets	23	25	33	22	103

From the official box score:

Charlotte Hornets (1-0) - Grayson Allen: 21 points, 5-of-8 from 3, +20 in 28:48 - Naz Reid: 20 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, four 3-pointers - Dennis Schröder: 19 points, 6 assists - Brandon Miller: 18 points (7-of-21 FG) - Moussa Diabaté: 17 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals

Brooklyn Nets (0-1) - Julius Randle: 33 points (11-of-18 FG), 8 rebounds, 7 assists - Michael Porter Jr.: 26 points, 7 rebounds - Noah Clowney: 9 points - Day’Ron Sharpe: 8 points, 8 rebounds - Mikel Brown Jr.: 6 points in 20 minutes off the bench

Attendance was a sellout 17,548.

Naz Reid’s debut

Reid arrived in the trade that sent star point guard LaMelo Ball to Minnesota after last season, the Associated Press reported. He made an immediate mark: the Hornets said he became the first player in franchise history with a 20-point, 10-rebound, five-assist debut. His seven assists tied his career high, according to the team.

Charlotte played without Coby White (left calf strain) and Kon Knueppel (right hamstring strain), who led the NBA in 3-pointers made last season, per the AP. Forward Grant Williams was also out. Even so, five Hornets scored at least 17 points, something the team said it did only twice all last season.

How the game was decided

Charlotte led by 10 before Brooklyn cut it to five going into the fourth quarter, the AP reported. Michael Porter Jr., who scored 12 of his 26 in the third quarter according to the Hornets, pulled the Nets within 94-90 with a floater at 7:20.

Then Dennis Schröder took over. Playing for his 12th NBA team, he scored eight straight Charlotte points in a 12-4 burst, capped by a finger-roll layup that made it 102-92 with 5:38 left. Brooklyn got as close as six after a Randle three-point play with 1:16 to go, but an Egor Dëmin turnover led to an Allen 3-pointer that sealed it.

The Hornets committed 21 turnovers, but they forced 22 and controlled the offensive glass for a 20-8 edge in second-chance points, according to the team. Diabaté had five offensive rebounds and a game-high five steals.

“We set a tone – that’s going to be our identity no matter what’s going on offensively,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said, per the team. “It wasn’t always pretty with 21 turnovers, but it was always competitive.”

Randle’s homecoming

Randle scored 33 on 11-of-18 shooting in his Nets debut. But none of Brooklyn’s other three starters reached double figures, the AP noted. The Nets, celebrating their 60th season, wore white uniforms with red and blue as a nod to their ABA days. Brooklyn has now lost 13 of 14 season openers since 2013-14, according to the Hornets.

What’s next

• Hornets: home opener vs. the Atlanta Hawks, Friday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m. ET, at Spectrum Center.
• Nets: at the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.

FAQ

Who won Hornets vs. Nets? Charlotte, 110-103, on Oct. 21, 2026, in Brooklyn.

How did Naz Reid play? 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in his Hornets debut.

Who led the Nets? Julius Randle with 33 points.