Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. returns from two-game absence vs. Hornets; Terance Mann sidelined

Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., who’s been dealing with low back tightness, returns from a two-game absence for Monday’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets at Barclays Center.

Porter and Noah Clowney (left hip soreness) both entered the day listed as probable but were upgraded to available later in the afternoon. The Nets were without Terance Mann, who missed his first game of the season because of right rib soreness.

Cam Thomas missed his 11th straight game with a left hamstring strain and is expected to be re-evaluated in the coming weeks. Haywood Highsmith, still recovering from right knee surgery, remains out on a similar timeline.

Rookie Nolan Traore remained on G League assignment.

Porter has been Brooklyn’s most reliable scorer with Thomas out, averaging 24.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 48% from the field, 36% from deep and 83% from the free throw line. In the two games he missed, the Nets posted a 105.8 offensive rating and shot just 43.2 percent from the field.

However, Porter’s absence pushed Brooklyn’s rookies into larger roles, and both Egor Demin and Danny Wolf made the most of their chances even though the Nets dropped both games. Demin put up 23 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two blocks against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, while Wolf followed with 22 points, four rebounds, four assists and a block on Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks.

“[Porter] creates a lot of attention and he’s done a great job,” head coach Jordi Fernández said. “But you know, having the next man mentality throughout the whole last season we had to deal with that a lot, and even this year unfortunately CT being out as well. So, these guys are doing a great job. They’ll be ready. There’s opportunities. And I think that whoever is going to take that spot in the minutes they’re going to go play really hard.”

With Mann sidelined Monday and no clear timetable for his return, Tyrese Martin should be in line for increased minutes, along with rookies Wolf, Drake Powell and Ben Saraf. Mann averaged 11.9 points on 52.9% shooting over the Nets’ first eight games, but his production has dipped to 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 35.8% shooting across his last 11 appearances.