Early in the Nets’ 137–117 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, one sequence perfectly captured Brooklyn’s defensive struggles.

Michael Porter Jr. had just missed a 3-pointer from the left wing when Charlotte’s Miles Bridges grabbed the rebound and fired an outlet to a sprinting LaMelo Ball. Nic Claxton did his job, cutting off Ball in transition, but Porter and rookie Ben Saraf jogged back on defense.

Their slow recovery opened the lane for Ball to toss an uncontested lob to Brandon Miller for two of Charlotte’s 23 fast-break points. Meanwhile, Cam Thomas and Terance Mann barely crossed half court as four Hornets filled the paint.

It was a sequence uncharacteristic of a Jordi Fernández-coached team, one that prides itself on defense, energy and effort. And compounding moments

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