The season has begun, but the good feelings have not joined the party. The Brooklyn Nets began their 60th season at home against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, but everyone left it feeling frustrated and disappointed as the home team lost 110-103.
The Flatbush 5 looked flat and while Mikel Brown Jr. looked good, it was in limited minutes, a situation likely to continue for a while.
The opponent tonight is trying to break into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference, but Opening Night brought
back some horrible memories. The Cleveland Cavaliers were up by 29 points against the Philadelphia 76ers, but somehow let the lead slip as they suffered a dispiriting 114-106 loss. Ouch.
Game info and broadcast details
- Matchup: Brooklyn Nets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
- Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
- Time: 7:30 PM EST (6:30 PM CST)
- Venue: Rocket Arena (Cleveland, Ohio)
- TV/Streaming: YES Network/DAZN
Nets vs. Cavaliers: Who’s out?
Brooklyn Nets
- Out – Tyler Bilodeau (right shoulder sprain)
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Out – Khalifa Diop (left knee)
- Out – Nae’Qwan Tomlin (lower back)
The game
Julius Randle had a solid outing in his Brooklyn debut. The former All-Star scored 30 points and was the team’s best player. Afterwards, he took responsibility for the team’s lack of success o the boards and moments of malaise. It’s what your team leader is supposed to do and Julius is setting the tone for how this team ought to play in 2026-2027.
Randle will have his hands full on the inside with the duo of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. The Cavs duo helped hold opponents to just 63 percent shooting inside the restricted area, third best mark in the NBA last season. Finishing at the rim against this team is a tall task, and Randle will have to find his way to the cup. Philadelphia punished the Cavs in transition to spur the comeback, and it would help the Nets immensely if they could get out and run early and often.
Of course, the big story at least for fans is when will we see Mikel Brown Jr., without minutes restrictions. MBJ looked good in his 19 minute debut vs. the Hornets but Jordi Fernandez offered no firm timeline on when the restrictions would be ended.
“[The minutes restriction] is not going to change in a way. He played 19 games last year, I believe. This season is 82,” Fernandez said after the team’s practice session on Friday. “We’re going to build him to be healthy and to be a strong NBA player. We have a plan for him. Obviously we’re not going to disclose every single step of the way, but the number one thing is to build him up and build up his body to be able to sustain the minutes that can help the team win games.”
At least we have this from Michael Porter Jr. to help us get through things:
“There’s been practices where he’s completely dominated” Porter said. “So, there’s not a lot of weakness in his game.”
Tonight is the first night of a back-to-back for the Nets. Once this wraps up, they’re heading home for a Sunday night matchup against Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers. Will Brown play vs. Indiana? The Nets want to be better this year, and this weekend will be a big early test of that.
Player to watch: Donovan Mitchell
If Cleveland wants to finally break through, they’re going to need Mitchell to get them there. Mitchell is one of the best players in the sport and someone that can heat up at a moment’s notice. Mitchell has tormented the Nets for many years and it will take a team effort to slow him down. With this being Cleveland’s home opener, look for Mitchell to start with an extra level of aggression to set the tone for the night.
Egor Dëmin had a pretty terrible game on Opening Night! He said as much in postgame
“I’m not very happy with how I ended up playing the game. I started with two [made] buckets but then kind of just got slower from a standpoint of my intensity, and I’ve definitely got to bring the energy, higher energy.’
As the lead guard on the team, it’s up to Egor to play with the appropriate energy and level of desperation needed to get the win. Brooklyn had a lot of unforced errors against the Hornets, and Dëmin will be responsible for organizing a better, more cohernt offensive unit tonight.
From the Vault
How bout we cruise to Larry June?
More reading: Fear the Sword, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Nets Insider, SNY, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Steve’s Newsletter
- Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
- Cleveland Cavaliers Game Notes– Cleveland Cavaliers
- The Nets’ plan for Mikel Brown Jr. is going to require plenty of patience – Howie Kussoy – New York Post
- Nets’ crowded rotation leaves three sophomores waiting as Jordi Fernández stays patient($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
- Why Nets rookie Mikel Brown Jr.’s minutes restriction won’t change ‘anytime soon’ – Erik Slater – Clutch Points
