The Nets opened the 2025-26 season with a 136-117 loss to the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center, struggling defensively from start to finish. It was a discouraging showing on that end of the floor, especially with the team nearly at full strength, missing only Danny Wolf (left ankle) and Haywood Highsmith (right knee surgery).

It didn't take long for those defensive lapses to show. From the opening tip, Charlotte dictated the pace and Brooklyn found itself chasing the game almost immediately.

Rookie Ben Saraf earned the start at point guard on opening night, becoming the second-youngest player in Nets history to start a game at 19 years and 191 days old, behind only Derrick Favors. He was joined by Cam Thomas, Terance Mann, Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton in Brooklyn's opening lineup.

Charlotte came out sharper and more energized, while the Nets opened flat, struggling to find clean looks until Porter caught fire. The veteran forward scored eight of Brooklyn's first 14 points, jolting the offense to life after a sluggish 1-for-5 start and helping set the tone for what quickly became a fast, up-tempo game.

Egor Demin checked in with 5:18 left in the first quarter as head coach Jordi Fernández made a full platoon swap, joining Thomas, Ziaire Williams, Day'Ron Sharpe, and Noah Clowney. The rookie's handle was immediately tested. He fumbled the ball on one possession and was stripped clean on another, leading to a transition layup for Charlotte.

The Hornets dominated the glass early, grabbing six offensive rebounds to Brooklyn's one, and the Nets' sloppiness showed as they fell behind 38-32 after one. An 8-0 burst in the second quarter, led by Claxton's energy inside, briefly trimmed the deficit to one after Brooklyn had trailed by nine.

But Charlotte quickly punched back, closing the half on a 21-8 run to reclaim control. The Hornets were a blur in transition, outscoring the Nets 18-0 on fast breaks and stretching their lead to 17 at halftime after winning the second quarter 39-28. Brandon Miller led the surge with 17 of his game-high 25 points before halftime, punctuating his performance with two emphatic dunks off pinpoint feeds from teammate LaMelo Ball.

A Kon Knueppel three-pointer stretched Charlotte's lead to 22 with 9:34 left in the third, forcing Fernández to call a timeout to stop the bleeding. Brooklyn responded with a three from Mann, a Claxton put-back, and another triple from Jalen Wilson to cut the deficit to 14.

The Nets never got closer than 12 in the second half, and by the 6:31 mark of the fourth quarter, Charlotte had stretched its lead back to 22. Brooklyn's lone highlight down the stretch came from rookie Nolan Traore, who unexpectedly opened the fourth quarter.

While the Nets took decent care of the ball on offense, their defense told a different story. Charlotte shot 53.3% from the field and 47.2% from deep, piled up 23 fast-break points and dominated the glass with a 50-38 rebounding edge. The Hornets won 19 games last season.

Fernández went with a 13-man rotation in the loss, with Claxton leading the way at 17 points, four rebounds and two assists. Thomas added 15 points on 2-for-9 shooting, while Sharpe provided a spark off the bench with 14 points and four boards.

The debuts of Saraf, Demin, Powell and Traore marked just the fourth time in team history that four rookies have debuted in the same game. All four scored, and Demin stood out with 14 points, becoming the first rookie in franchise history to hit four 3-pointers in his NBA debut.

Brooklyn will be back in action Friday when it hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers at Barclays Center.

Hornets run past Nets 136-117 in season opener as defense falters