Porter Jr. and Claxton shine as Nets defeat Pelicans 119-101

Michael Porter Jr. returned effectively from a back injury to tie his season high with 35 points, hitting five threes and grabbing nine rebounds. This marked his third consecutive 30-point performance, echoing his run with Denver last February. Nic Claxton posted his second season triple-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. He joins Harden and Durant as recent Nets with multiple season triple-doubles and trails only Shawn Bradley among franchise centers career-wise. Day’Ron Sharpe added 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Brooklyn improved to 6–17, winning three of their last four.

New Orleans fell to 3–21, suffering their sixth straight loss despite Trey Murphy III’s 23 points, plus 18 from Saddiq Bey and 16 from Bryce McGowens. Brooklyn seized control early, shooting 63.6% in the first with 13 assists. Porter’s 13 second-quarter points built a 62–44 halftime lead. The advantage eventually swelled to 28, making any comeback attempt impossible.