It wasn't always pretty, but nobody will ever complain about a win, right?

The shorthanded Charlotte Hornets opened up their 2026-27 campaign with a 110-103 win over the Brooklyn Nets, their sixth straight victory in a season-opener. After a slow start, the Hornets' defense took over the game and ultimately proved to be the catalyst for the victory.

Below is a series of thoughts, highlights, and statistics bundled up into a neat package I like to call the four-point play.

One Highlight of the Night

Brandon Miller's monster dunk

I don't think this dunk would even make the first chapter of Brandon Miller's highlight catalog, but it deserves its flowers as tonight's highlight of the night.

Overall, the game was a struggle for the newly minted $209M man, save for a 10 minute stretch where he looked like the sort of go-to scorer that the Hornets clearly think he can be.…