CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- — Brandon Miller scored 25 points in his first game since Jan. 15, Miles Bridges added 18 points and 11 rebounds, and the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Brooklyn Nets 136-117 in their season opener Wednesday night.

LaMelo Ball added 20 points and eight assists and Collin Sexton provided a spark off the bench with 15 points as the Hornets enjoyed a successful reopening to the newly renovated Spectrum Center.

The Hornets had a franchise-record nine players finish in double digits in scoring including rookies Kon Knueppel and Ryan Kalkbrenner, both of whom started. It marked the first time in Hornets history two rookies started the season opener.

Nic Claxton had 17 points and Cam Thomas added 15 to lead the Nets. Day’Ron Sharpe and Egor Demin each pitched in with 14 points for Brooklyn.

Miller, who missed 55 games with a torn ligament in his wrist last season, sat out most of the first quarter after picking up two early fouls. But the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, hoping for a breakout season, scored 15 points in the game-changing second quarter as the Hornets outscored the Nets to 39-28 to build a 17-point halftime lead.

Charlotte shot 53.3% from the field and 47.2% from beyond the arc, while outrebounding the Nets 50-38.

Hornets coach Charles Lee acted coy before the game about his plans for the starting five, refusing to name his final two starters.

Lee wound up going with Knueppel and Kalkbreneer alongside the team's key trio of returners in Ball, Miller and Bridges. Kalkbrenner finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds in his NBA debut, while Knueppel had 11 points and five rebounds.

Knueppel and Kalkbrenner combined to make their first eight shots from the field, but also made some mistakes that resulted in turnovers.

Nets first-round draft pick Danny Wolf sat out after spraining an ankle during the morning shootaround. Wolf is day to day and it's possible he could make his debut in Game 2.

Up next

Nets: Host Cleveland on Friday night.

Hornets: At Philadelphia on Saturday night.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Play By Play

Recent plays and game events

TIME	PLAY
12:00	Nic Claxton vs. Ryan Kalkbrenner (Ben Saraf gains possession)	0	0
11:33	Nic Claxton misses 11-foot two point shot	0	0
11:33	Hornets defensive team rebound	0	0
11:18	Cam Thomas shooting foul	0	0
11:18	Miles Bridges makes free throw 1 of 2	1	0
11:18	Miles Bridges misses free throw 2 of 2	1	0
11:15	Ben Saraf defensive rebound	1	0
11:04	Terance Mann misses 23-foot three point step back jumpshot	1	0
11:01	Kon Knueppel defensive rebound	1	0
10:56	Kon Knueppel makes two point shot	3	0
10:43	Brandon Miller personal foul	3	0
10:34	Cam Thomas misses two point shot	3	0
10:32	Ryan Kalkbrenner defensive rebound	3	0
10:28	Brandon Miller misses running pullup jump shot	3	0
10:27	Miles Bridges offensive rebound	3	0
10:27	Terance Mann shooting foul	3	0
10:27	Miles Bridges makes free throw 1 of 2	4	0
10:27	Miles Bridges makes free throw 2 of 2	5	0
10:12	Nic Claxton makes driving layup (Ben Saraf assists)	5	2
10:04	Michael Porter Jr. personal foul	5	2
9:58	Ryan Kalkbrenner out of bounds bad pass turnover	5	2
9:43	Michael Porter Jr. misses 24-foot three point jumper	5	2
9:40	Miles Bridges defensive rebound	5	2
9:36	Brandon Miller makes 2-foot dunk (LaMelo Ball assists)	7	2
9:25	Ben Saraf makes driving layup	7	4
9:18	LaMelo Ball misses 25-foot three point jumper	7	4
9:15	Miles Bridges offensive rebound	7	4
9:11	Ryan Kalkbrenner 3 second turnover	7	4
8:58	Ryan Kalkbrenner blocks Nic Claxton 's 9-foot two point shot	7	4
8:57	Nets offensive team rebound	7	4
8:54	Michael Porter Jr. makes 15-foot pullup jump shot	7	6
8:41	LaMelo Ball makes 28-foot three point jumper (Brandon Miller assists)	10	6
8:28	Michael Porter Jr. makes 24-foot three point step back jumpshot (Ben Saraf assists)	10	9
8:16	Brandon Miller misses 26-foot three point jumper	10	9
8:13	Ben Saraf defensive rebound	10	9
8:11	Terance Mann steps out of bounds turnover	10	9
7:53	LaMelo Ball misses driving floating jump shot	10	9
7:51	Ben Saraf defensive rebound	10	9
7:43	Michael Porter Jr. misses driving layup	10	9
7:43	Nets offensive team rebound	10	9
7:43	Brandon Miller loose ball foul	10	9
7:43	Collin Sexton enters the game for Brandon Miller	10	9
7:29	Nic Claxton makes layup (Michael Porter Jr. assists)	10	11
7:22	Cam Thomas personal foul	10	11
7:19	Ben Saraf shooting foul	10	11
7:19	Collin Sexton makes free throw 1 of 2	11	11
7:19	Collin Sexton makes free throw 2 of 2	12	11
7:08	Michael Porter Jr. makes 25-foot three point jumper (Ben Saraf assists)	12	14
7:08	Hornets Full timeout	12	14
7:08	Sion James enters the game for Kon Knueppel	12	14
6:52	Ryan Kalkbrenner makes 2-foot layup (Collin Sexton assists)	14	14
6:40	Nic Claxton misses driving layup	14	14
6:35	Terance Mann offensive rebound	14	14
6:35	Terance Mann makes tip shot	14	16
6:31	Ryan Kalkbrenner makes layup (Miles Bridges assists)	16	16
6:17	Cam Thomas makes 5-foot driving floating jump shot (Nic Claxton assists)	16	18
6:03	Cam Thomas blocks LaMelo Ball 's 7-foot two point shot	16	18
5:59	LaMelo Ball offensive rebound	16	18
5:58	Ryan Kalkbrenner makes 3-foot dunk (LaMelo Ball assists)	18	18
5:44	Sion James blocks Michael Porter Jr. 's 3-foot layup	18	18
5:41	Sion James defensive rebound	18	18
5:34	LaMelo Ball misses driving floating jump shot	18	18
5:32	Ryan Kalkbrenner offensive rebound	18	18
5:29	Collin Sexton misses 20-foot step back jumpshot	18	18
5:26	Nic Claxton defensive rebound	18	18
5:18	Ryan Kalkbrenner shooting foul	18	18
5:18	Michael Porter Jr. misses free throw 1 of 2	18	18
5:18	Nets offensive team rebound	18	18
5:18	Moussa Diabate enters the game for Ryan Kalkbrenner	18	18
5:18	Ziaire Williams enters the game for Terance Mann	18	18
5:18	Egor Demin enters the game for Nic Claxton	18	18
5:18	Day'Ron Sharpe enters the game for Ben Saraf	18	18
5:18	Michael Porter Jr. misses free throw 2 of 2	18	18
5:14	Sion James defensive rebound	18	18
5:05	Miles Bridges misses driving floating jump shot	18	18
5:03	Day'Ron Sharpe defensive rebound	18	18
4:58	Collin Sexton shooting foul	18	18
4:58	Cam Thomas makes free throw 1 of 3	18	19
4:58	Cam Thomas makes free throw 2 of 3	18	20
4:58	Tidjane Salaun enters the game for Miles Bridges	18	20
4:58	Noah Clowney enters the game for Michael Porter Jr.	18	20
4:58	Cam Thomas makes free throw 3 of 3	18	21
4:37	Tidjane Salaun misses 3-foot two point shot	18	21
4:36	Moussa Diabate offensive rebound	18	21
4:34	LaMelo Ball misses 24-foot three point jumper	18	21
4:31	Sion James offensive rebound	18	21
4:29	Sion James makes 2-foot driving dunk	20	21
4:28	Nets Full timeout	20	21
4:15	Sion James shooting foul	20	21
4:15	Cam Thomas makes free throw 1 of 2	20	22
4:15	Cam Thomas misses free throw 2 of 2	20	22
4:12	Moussa Diabate defensive rebound	20	22
4:01	LaMelo Ball makes driving layup	22	22
3:42	Cam Thomas misses 18-foot jumper	22	22
3:42	Nets offensive team rebound	22	22
3:42	Moussa Diabate loose ball foul	22	22
3:42	Day'Ron Sharpe makes free throw 1 of 2	22	23
3:42	Tyrese Martin enters the game for Cam Thomas	22	23
3:42	Day'Ron Sharpe misses free throw 2 of 2	22	23
3:38	Collin Sexton defensive rebound	22	23
3:33	Collin Sexton makes two point shot	24	23
3:23	Ziaire Williams misses 28-foot three point jumper	24	23
3:20	Hornets defensive team rebound	24	23
3:05	Collin Sexton misses 7-foot two point shot	24	23
3:03	Ziaire Williams defensive rebound	24	23
2:48	Day'Ron Sharpe makes layup (Tyrese Martin assists)	24	25
2:39	Collin Sexton makes 23-foot three point jumper (LaMelo Ball assists)	27	25
2:25	Tidjane Salaun personal foul	27	25
2:25	Egor Demin makes free throw 1 of 2	27	26
2:25	Kon Knueppel enters the game for LaMelo Ball	27	26
2:25	Tre Mann enters the game for Sion James	27	26
2:25	Egor Demin makes free throw 2 of 2	27	27
2:11	Moussa Diabate makes 7-foot hook shot (Tre Mann assists)	29	27
1:57	Day'Ron Sharpe makes layup (Egor Demin assists)	29	29
1:46	Kon Knueppel makes 26-foot three point jumper (Tre Mann assists)	32	29
1:30	Noah Clowney misses driving layup	32	29
1:27	Kon Knueppel defensive rebound	32	29
1:24	Moussa Diabate traveling	32	29
1:11	Day'Ron Sharpe bad pass (Tre Mann steals)	32	29
1:08	Moussa Diabate makes two point shot (Tre Mann assists)	34	29
1:07	Nets Full timeout	34	29
58.4	Egor Demin lost ball turnover (Collin Sexton steals)	34	29
55.2	Tre Mann makes two point shot	36	29
55.1	Day'Ron Sharpe makes 1-foot dunk (Ziaire Williams assists)	36	31
51.9	Egor Demin shooting foul	36	31
51.9	Collin Sexton makes free throw 1 of 2	37	31
51.9	Miles Bridges enters the game for Tidjane Salaun	37	31
51.9	Collin Sexton makes free throw 2 of 2	38	31
39.8	Day'Ron Sharpe offensive foul	38	31
39.8	Day'Ron Sharpe turnover	38	31
28.1	Tre Mann bad pass (Tyrese Martin steals)	38	31
24.0	Tyrese Martin lost ball turnover (Moussa Diabate steals)	38	31
9.0	Kon Knueppel traveling	38	31
9.0	Cam Thomas enters the game for Egor Demin	38	31
3.4	Kon Knueppel personal foul	38	31
3.4	Nets Coach's Challenge	38	31
3.4	(00:03.4) [Nets] COACH'S CHALLENGE (CALL OVERTURNED) [Nets] retain their timeout	38	31
3.4	Ziaire Williams makes free throw 1 of 2	38	32
3.4	Ziaire Williams misses free throw 2 of 2	38	32
3.4	Miles Bridges defensive rebound	38	32
0.2	Miles Bridges misses heave jump shot	38	32
0.1	Hornets offensive team rebound	38	32
0.0	End of the 1st Quarter	38	32

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Game Information

Time, Location & Referees

Venue

Spectrum Center

Charlotte, NC

Date & Time

11:00 PM, October 22, 2025

Coverage

YES, NBA League Pass, FanDuel SN SE

Attendance

19,516

Referees

Marc Davis, Che Flores, John Butler

2025-26 Atlantic Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
Boston	34	18	.654	W5
New York	33	19	.635	L1
Toronto	31	22	.585	W1
Philadelphia	30	22	.577	W1
Brooklyn	14	37	.275	W1

2025-26 Southeast Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
Orlando	27	24	.529	W2
Miami	27	26	.509	L2
Atlanta	26	28	.481	L1
Charlotte	25	28	.472	W9
Washington	14	37	.275	L1

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Brandon Miller scores 25 in return as Hornets beat Nets 136-117 in season opener

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