Porter Jr. and Randle Star as Nets Torch Hornets 124-90 in Preseason Opener

The Brooklyn Nets opened their 2026-27 preseason in style, cycling through every available player in a 124-90 rout of the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center on Tuesday night. Michael Porter Jr. led the way with a team-high 16 points on 4-of-6 shooting from deep, adding five rebounds, while new arrival Julius Randle chipped in 13 points and three assists. The shooting was the headline: Brooklyn, dead last in the NBA in offensive rating and three-point percentage last season, shot 55.0 percent from the field and 20-for-37 from beyond the arc. The Nets racked up 31 assists on 44 made field goals and forced 25 turnovers, turning them into a 25-6 fast-break advantage. Head coach Jordi Fernández praised the group for playing hard for the full 48 minutes and winning every rotation's minutes, singling out the ball movement and defensive pressure. Charlotte were heavily short-handed, with Kon Knueppel, Grant Williams and Coby White — nursing a calf strain — all sidelined. The Nets were without rookie Mikel Brown Jr., who sat with an ankle injury, as Egor Demin stepped into the starting point guard role. It is only preseason, but for a rebuilding Brooklyn side, a 34-point statement on the road is an encouraging first look at the revamped roster.