Nic Claxton scored 16 points and the Brooklyn Nets pulled away after LaMelo Ball was lost to another ankle injury and beat the Charlotte Hornets 97-89 on Monday night.

Nic Claxton scored 16 points as the Brooklyn Nets took control in the third quarter and earned a 97-89 victory over the Charlotte Hornets Monday night in New York.

The Brooklyn Nets (19-34) have been playing some stout defense over the past couple of weeks as they seek to win games without having to put up a ton of points against their opponents. In Monday's game against the Charlotte Hornets (13-38),

When you’re twice as close to the play-in as you are to a top-3 pick, and you’ve won five of six, well, things have changed.