Kemba Walker scored 31 points as the Charlotte Hornets pulled away for a 111-96 victory against the Brooklyn Nets in the first game after the All-Star break Thursday night at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.

Dwight Howard provided 15 points and 24 rebounds for Charlotte, which has won two in a row.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's 13 points, Marvin Williams' 11 and Nic Batum's 10 completed the Hornets' starting five all in double figures.

Walker, a guard who also had seven assists, made 12 of 22 shots from the field, including draining four 3-point shots.

The Nets, who were charged with only nine turnovers, lost their eighth game in a row as their approach at perimeter scoring didn't work. They made only 14 of 43 attempts from 3-point range.

Dante Cunningham's 22 points and D'Angelo Russell's 19 points paced Brooklyn.

Spencer Dinwiddie added 12 points and Allen Crabbe had 11 points for the Nets, who dropped to 8-20 in road games. The Nets have a home game Monday against Chicago before five consecutive road games.

Brooklyn's Joe Harris, who finished with 12 points, had the best rate on 3-point launches by going 3-for-5 off the bench.

Brooklyn's reserves combined to shoot 8-for-18 on 3-pointers, so it was the starters who struggled with their shooting touches.

The Hornets cleaned up in the lane, with Howard's eight offensive rebounds nearly matching Brooklyn's 11 total offensive boards.

Charlotte was only up by six through three quarters before pouring it on.

The Hornets led 55-53 at halftime, though their eight-point lead nearly disappeared in the final minute before the break when Dinwiddie and Crabbe made 3-pointers.

The Nets came out firing from long distance. They averaged more than one 3-point attempt per minute for the first 17 minutes.

Howard had 14 of the Hornets' 27 first-half rebounds.

This was the first game since the Hornets fired general manager Rich Cho earlier in the week.

-- Field Level Media