Brooklyn Nets: 3 things to watch in run-back game at Charlotte

2. Wednesday turned into small ball; will it happen again?

In the two overtime periods between the Brooklyn Nets and Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, the tallest players on the floor were Charlotte forward Marvin Williams and Brooklyn forward Rodions Kurucs, both 6-foot-9 stretch players.

The game went small when the Hornets stopped using centers Cody Zeller and Willy Hernangomez late in the game. That forced Nets coach Kenny Atkinson to counter with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson as his small 5, negating bigs Jarrett Allen and Ed Davis.

Allen played only 24 minutes, with just one second on the floor down the stretch, the same amount of time Charlotte coach James Barrego gave to Zeller, who played only 22 minutes in all.

Hernangomez logged six minutes in the fourth, while Davis got no playing time. Each backup played 14 minutes on the night.

Allen is a top-notch rim protector, but as a young player can still struggle to guard in space, particularly when matched up with smaller, quicker assignments.

Davis is more adept at guarding small players away from the basket, but will reach when beaten off the dribble.

Hollis-Jefferson had a big game on the glass Wednesday, finishing with a game-high 15 rebounds while also putting up 16 points, six assists and three blocks.

Williams, who finished the game playing the small 5 for the Hornets, had 14 points and a team-high 12 boards, with two blocks and a 3-of-7 mark from 3-point range.

With the teams meeting for the second time in 48 hours, it will be interesting to see if the game once again goes small — and which team will make the first move if it does.