Another night, another setback. The Nets dropped to 1-10 after a 119-109 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday at Barclays Center, joining the Washington Wizards as the first teams in the league to hit double-digit defeats.
But even on a night when Jordi Fernández’s team shot just 39.5% from the field, 34.1% from 3-point range and gave up 68 points in the paint while missing backup center Day’Ron Sharpe, the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft still gave fans something to cheer about, making it back-to-back games where a Nets rookie has impressed.
“I know some people around here were asking me questions about 2s, and now you guys have seen it,” Fernández said of rookie guard Egor Demin. “You guys have seen now he can pass the ball, he can get into the paint, he can shoot the 3s. So, all those things we want to keep seeing, and there’s not a better way to do it with him than more minutes.”
Brooklyn’s offense started sharp behind Noah Clowney’s 12-point first quarter and Nic Claxton’s steady interior presence. Rookie Drake Powell handled a few possessions as the primary ball handler, showing flashes of control despite a turnover and a couple of lost dribbles as the Nets mixed lineups. They shot 58.8% in the opening period and held Toronto to 45.8%, but a 7-0 Raptors run to close the quarter cut what had been a nine-point lead down to two entering the second.
Rookie guard Egor Demin, making his third straight start at point, carried the momentum early in the next frame. After hitting his first two shots, he stayed hot with two more 3-pointers and a steal, scoring a team-high six points in the quarter. Demin opened 4-for-4 from the field and 3-for-3 from deep, finishing the first half with 11 points in 14 minutes.
He closed the night with a career-high 16 points, four rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes with just one turnover, showing more confidence attacking the rim, even attempting a two-handed baseline dunk early in the third. The finishes weren’t there, but the aggression was a sign of growing comfort as he learns to read angles and absorb contact.
“He’s trying to figure it out… He’s learning when to attack, when to get downhill. Of course, he has a really long way to go, but he’s taking a lot of good strides in the right direction, and I’ll keep an open dialogue with him so we can keep figuring it out together,” Claxton said.
It was a quieter night for Powell after his career-best outing against the Knicks on Sunday, as he finished with six points, one rebound, three assists and two steals in 22 minutes off the bench. Fellow rookies Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf, both recalled from Long Island on Monday, didn’t check in until garbage time and finished with two points apiece.
“Noah has the experience right now,” Fernández said when asked why Wolf didn’t see more minutes at center. “The opportunities will come for everybody. This is my decision. I just went with Noah because I’ve seen him multiple times.”
Despite Demin’s spark and Claxton’s consistency, Brooklyn’s offense sputtered in the second quarter. The Nets shot only 34.8%, committed three turnovers and were outscored 32-22, falling behind 60-52 at halftime. Terance Mann was the only starter not in double figures at halftime, while the bench offered little help and the team continued to struggle from beyond the arc.
Brooklyn trailed by as many as 14 points in the third quarter, trimmed the deficit to two with 1:30 remaining, but allowed the Raptors to close on an 8-2 run that stretched the lead back to eight entering the fourth. Toronto outscored Brooklyn 30-28 in the final quarter, just enough to keep the Nets at arm’s length.
“We just didn’t string together enough stops,” Claxton said. “I thought our process was right tonight, though.”
Claxton and Michael Porter Jr. each finished with 21 points, though Claxton shot 8-for-14 while Porter went just 5-for-14. Ziaire Williams struggled off the bench, missing all eight of his attempts. Brandon Ingram led the Raptors with 25 points, five rebounds and four assists.
The Nets return to action Friday against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center.
