Nets stay hot as stout defense swats away Hornets for win that hurts draft lottery odds

The Nets defense remained stout Monday, as did the team’s recent winning ways.They smothered the Hornets 97-89 before 16,013 at Barclays Center, hurting their lottery odds but helping their vibes.The Nets (19-34) have had the best defense in the league over the past two weeks, and that has coincided with them winning five of their past six games.Granted, fans embracing the tank may debate the value of that.They sit sixth in the lottery standings, falling five games behind the fourth-slotted Hornets (13-38) and three behind idle Toronto for the fifth-best lottery odds.But for the players themselves, this stretch has been sweet coming on the heels of a seven-game skid.The Nets allowed just 41 percent shooting and 6 of 31 from deep.

The center platoon of Nic Claxton (16 points, two blocks, two steals) and Day’Ron Sharpe (14 points, nine rebounds) led the way and anchored the defense.The Nets led by as many as 22 and, after star Charlotte guard LeMelo Ball left with a sore right ankle, were never challenged.This was nearly a wire-to-wire rout.The Nets allowed eight unanswered early, falling behind 15-9 after Ball found Nick Smith Jr.

for a running 3-pointer.Down 25-21, the Nets responded with a 9-1 run.Tosan Evbuomwan’s floater put them up 30-26 with a minute left in the first.They reeled off nine unanswered in a 1 ½-minute blitz early in the second, with Keon Johnson’s 3-pointer making it 47-36 with 7:23 left in the half.D’Angelo Russell’s free throw on a clear path foul capped a 21-8 run, padding the cushion to 59-44 with 2:21 remaining in the third.

The rest was garbage time, with the Nets never looking back.They won handily despite a cosmetic 14-0 Hornets run late in the fourth.Trendon Watford finished with 13 points and a game-high plus-26.Moussa Diabate had a game-high 21 for the Hornets....