Cam Johnson goes off for 34 points as shorthanded Nets pull out tight win over Hornets

The status of leading scorer Cam Thomas gradually getting downgraded throughout the day, from available to probable to questionable to — 20 minutes before tipoff — out seemed ominous for the Nets. They were already shorthanded with center Nic Claxton sidelined.

They’d already lost three consecutive games, too. A near-.500 start, more promising than their rebuilding outlook would’ve suggested back in early October, had quickly started to unravel.

But the Nets found a way to replicate Thomas’ production — with Cam Johnson pouring in a season-high 34 points on 11-for-20 shooting — and relied on a balanced offense to overcome an ugly start against the Hornets, capitalize on Charlotte’s 23 turnovers and escape with a 116-115 win Tuesday night as the NBA Cup returned to Barclays Center.

Jalen Wilson, making his first start of the season in place of Thomas, finished with 17 points, while Ben Simmons scored a season-high 10 and finished two rebounds shy of a double-double.

Brooklyn (6-9) still needed to navigate some chaos in the final two minutes, even after Trendon Watford scored seven consecutive points for the Nets to give them a five-point lead with 38 seconds left. Brandon Miller hit a jumper and Cody Martin blocked Watford to give Charlotte a chance to tie with a 3 in the final seconds. But Miller’s contested heave didn’t hit the rim.

Thomas’ absence was a last-minute surprise, with head coach Jordi Fernandez acknowledging pregame that he thought the star guard was “good” but wanting to see what happened when he warmed up. At that point, Thomas was listed as probable due to lower back tightness. Less than two hours later, he was out of the Nets’ lineup for the first time this season, and they needed to adjust.

Johnson remained at the center of that throughout the night, and his sixth game of the year of 20-plus points matched his total from all of last season. The wing, after being limited by injuries at the start and end of last season, has been healthy.

He has expanded his scoring avenues while maintaining his 3-point strength. With career-best scoring numbers, he has stepped into the role the Nets envisioned when they acquired him alongside Mikal Bridges — now with the Knicks — in 2022 as part of the Kevin Durant blockbuster, and on Tuesday, he tied his season high with six 3s.

Early on, though, the game unfolded about as expected for a Nets group missing two starters. Claxton has been out since last week, forcing Simmons to play out of position at center. Thomas joined him.

The Hornets capitalized by jumping out to an 11-2 lead and forcing Fernandez to call timeout less than two minutes into the game, and they led by 16 at the seven-minute mark of the second.

The Nets clawed back, and though they couldn’t take the lead until early in the second half when Wilson hit a 3, it prevented their deficit from swelling to an insurmountable point.

Johnson hit a pair of jumpers to help build a temporary lead. He converted a 3 to put them up 72-63, and then when the Hornets had erased the deficit of their own and took the lead in the fourth, Johnson connected on another shot from beyond the arc.

The 34 points marked his most since Johnson erupted for 38 on March 4, 2022, while with the Suns.

Even in a rebuilding year, there are still teams the Nets should beat. Still lower-tier teams the Nets shouldn’t lose against. The upset bids against the Knicks, Celtics and Nuggets were feel-good junctures. But for now, in week four of the season, the Nets are still in the heart of any early-season playoff picture and dreams, and they’ll need to beat teams like the Hornets to keep that intact.

This time, the win kept them alive in the NBA Cup chase, too, with games to follow against the 76ers on Friday and the Magic on Nov. 29. And along the way, they figured out a blueprint to survive without their leading scorer.