The Nets finally got their leading scorer back.
But even Cam Thomas’ buckets couldn’t save them from their own sieve-like defense.
Brooklyn suffered a desultory 129-128 defeat against the horrible Hornets before a crowd of 16,072 Thursday night at Barclays Center.
They flushed a golden opportunity to win a season-high fourth straight, falling to a Charlotte (6-11) team that had dropped six of its last eight coming in.
It wasn’t over until Cam Johnson missed an open 3-point look in the final second, Mark Williams grabbing the final rebound to seal a shocking upset loss for the Nets, who fell to 9-9.
Thomas, returning from a sprained ankle that cost him nine straight games, looked like he’d never been gone.
He poured in a team-high 26 points on 11-for-21 shooting. Mikal Bridges added 22 and nine rebounds, while center Nic Claxton had 20 and a game-high 14 boards. But it wasn’t enough.
The Nets allowed 50.5 percent shooting and a staggering 21 of 36 from 3-point range.
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Charlotte point guard Terry Rozier lit them up for a season-high 37 points and 13 assists.
Miles Bridges, booed at tip by the fans for his domestic assault charge, had 23.
Thomas’ 26.9 points per game entering Thursday would have been 12th in the NBA if he qualified, and he has a knack for getting to the line.
That will help the Nets, but it was not enough Thursday.
Despite not playing since Nov. 8, Thomas is confident the layoff won’t cool him off.
More important, he’s convinced he won’t be out of sync with a Nets team that was developing an identity without him.
But they were in abysmal disarray on defense against the Hornets, and it cost them.
The Nets trailed, 97-95, on a Rozier pull-up 3-pointer before they reeled off seven unanswered.
Thomas knotted it on a floating bank shot. Mikal Bridges converted an and-one, and after a Rozier miss, Thomas’ driving layup padded it to 102-97 with 40.7 seconds left in the third.
The Nets fell back behind in the fourth, trailing 110-108 on a Nick Smith Jr. 3-pointer.
But Claxton knotted it on a short hook shot.
And after Charlotte’s JT Thor got free for a layup, Thomas hit from 28 feet to put the Nets back in front.
Sweet-shooting Cam Johnson drove for a thunderous dunk, posterizing Williams, the Charlotte center.
It brought the Nets’ bench to its feet, ignited the sedate Barclays Center crowd, and put Brooklyn ahead 115-112.
Miles Bridges drilled a corner 3-pointer to give Charlotte a 117-115 lead.
But the Nets snatched it right back.
Dorian Finney-Smith hit from the right corner to put the Nets ahead.
And after Claxton blocked Rozier on the defensive end, Mikal Bridges snaked inside for a layup that sent Charlotte into a timeout with 3:52 left.
Rozier knotted it on a wing 3-pointer, then followed with another for a 123-120 lead.
Johnson soared in for a follow dunk to pull Brooklyn within one, and Mikal Bridges found Claxton to again get the Nets within 125-124 with 1:24
Mikal Bridges appeared to tweak his ankle somewhat while fouling Rozier with 1:15 to play.
Rozier hit both free throws to leave the Nets in a 3-point hole, and his jumper on the next trip down made it 129-126.
The Nets had no answer.