Johnson, Nets crush Hornets
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Joe Johnson scored 22 points and the Brooklyn Nets crushed the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, 114-87, at Time Warner Cable Arena.
Deron Williams had 18 points with 10 assists and Alan Anderson added 17 off the bench for Brooklyn, which had seven players reach double figures. One of them was Cory Jefferson, who went for 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting in his first career start.
"It has been a while since we have been on the right side of a blowout," said Williams.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mason Plumlee posted his second straight double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds, and Jarrett Jack scored 14 off the bench to help the Nets win their second straight game on the heels of a three-game slide.
The Hornets, meanwhile, fell for the 12th time in 14 games after shooting just 39.2 percent from the field. They didn't come out with any energy on Saturday following a double-OT loss to Memphis the night before.
"There are very few teams that can show up and play and win. Obviously, we wouldn't be one of those," Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Nets led by 10 points at halftime and put the game away with a strong third quarter. Jefferson scored six points during a 14-0 run midway through the period and bookended the spurt with long jumpers. His 18-footer at 3:57 left the Nets with a 73-49 advantage.
It was 85-59 through three, and Charlotte never got closer than 22 in the fourth.
Johnson erupted for seven points in the first 1:13 of the game. His short jumper at 7:59 followed Jefferson's basket, and the Nets owned an early 11-2 advantage.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Later in the frame, Jefferson's three-point play preceded another Johnson 3, and the lead was 15. Brian Roberts hit from deep with 4.4 seconds left, but Jack banked in a runner as time expired to make it 32-17.
The spread reached 17 before Charlotte trimmed the gap to 52-42 at halftime.
Game Notes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Nets outscored Charlotte 42-26 in the paint ... Brooklyn shot 42-for-72 (58.3 percent) from the floor ... Michael Kidd-Gilchrist led Charlotte with 15 points off the bench and Roberts scored 14.