Swarm Raise Championship Banner, Defeat Nets In Season Opener

November 6, 2026 – The Greensboro Swarm, the NBA G League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets, defeated the Long Island Nets 121-111 on Friday at Novant Health Fieldhouse to open its 2026-27 campaign.

The Swarm unveiled its 2025-26 NBA G League Championship ahead of the game, with returning forward Josiah Allick, two-way center PJ Hall and Nets guard DJ Rodman taking part in the ceremony. Friday marked the Head Coach debut for Zach Peterson, while eight players made their Swarm debut.

Kobe Stewart led all scorers with 28 points and three rebounds in his Swarm debut, shooting 11-of-12 from the field with three made threes. Hall placed 18 points and seven rebounds on the night, with Allick adding 15 (6-of-8 FG) points in the frontcourt. Two-way forward Michael Ajayi neared a triple-double in his debut with 15 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists. 

Long Island produced five players in double-digit scoring on Friday, with Grant Nelson leading the way with 18 points and 13 rebounds. The Swarm shot 14-of-25 (56%) from distance, with the Nets going 14-of-41 (29%).

Kobe Stewart supplied Greensboro’s first 14 points, connecting twice from beyond the arc as the Swarm established an early advantage. A PJ Hall three-pointer pushed the lead to 19-10 midway through the opening quarter before Long Island responded. Jarkel Joiner’s two-point free throw with 40 seconds remaining gave Greensboro a 27-26 edge entering the second.

Stewart’s 14-point run marked the third-longest individual scoring streak to open a game in NBA G League history and the longest in a season opener. The stretch ranks second in franchise history, trailing only Jeremiah Tilmon’s 17 consecutive points on Jan. 23, 2024.

The Nets moved ahead early in the second quarter, but Greensboro regained control behind Stewart and Joiner. With the Swarm trailing 39-38, Stewart scored seven consecutive Greensboro points to spark a 13-2 run. Joiner capped the stretch with a layup that extended the lead to 51-41 with 3:26 remaining in the half.

Kyle Mangas connected from three-point range with 1:02 left to restore the double-digit margin before Long Island scored the final five points of the quarter. Greensboro entered halftime ahead 60-55, with Stewart accounting for 21 points.

Hall scored Greensboro’s first seven points of the third quarter, helping the Swarm stretch their advantage to 67-59. Long Island continued to close the gap, pulling within 75-74 on an Isaiah Wong layup with 4:58 remaining in the period. After a collection of lead changes, the Swarm etched the closing eight points in the period behind threes from Hall and DaJuan Gordon, with Kylan Boswell hitting a finger roll to hold a four point, 87-83, lead.

The Swarm inflated its lead to eight through four minutes of the fourth quarter, starred by a pair of Gordon threes and moved it to 12 – its largest lead of the game – with 4:22 to play. Long Island kept the game in reach in the closing moments, but ultimately fell short.

Greensboro completes its back-to-back set against the Nets tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET.