Porter Jr. Plays Through Hyperextended Arm as Nets Seek Response Against Hornets

Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. has revealed he played through a hyperextended left arm during Monday's 103-90 defeat at the New York Knicks, an injury that quietly changed the shape of the game. Porter finished with 18 points and five rebounds in 37 minutes, scoring 13 of those points in a hot third quarter from behind the three-point line. But his aggression faded down the stretch: he managed just two shot attempts in more than nine fourth-quarter minutes as Brooklyn lost the final period 28-11 and let the game slip away. Porter explained before Wednesday's home meeting with the Charlotte Hornets that the arm issue, suffered during the Knicks game, took him out of his usual attacking rhythm. The good news for Brooklyn is that he expects to be available against Charlotte, saying he will be good to go for the visit of the Hornets. The Nets, still searching for a way to close out tight games, have one more home outing before a four-game road trip, and a win over Charlotte would offer a timely lift. Porter's shooting remains central to their hopes of turning the season around.