Egor Demin’s much-anticipated preseason debut took center stage on Friday night, even as the Brooklyn Nets wrapped up their exhibition games with a 119-114 defeat against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. As Brooklyn’s first lottery pick in 15 years, Demin wasted no time making his presence known on the court.
Entering the game with 10:40 remaining in the second quarter and the Nets trailing by 14, Demin faced an aggressive Toronto defense. Despite the pressure, he appeared at ease, confidently managing the ball, orchestrating the offense, and showcasing his defensive prowess with an early block and a couple of sharp deflections.
Demin’s scoring debut came from a baseline cut, skillfully assisted by Cam Thomas for an easy finish at the rim. Shortly thereafter, he drew a foul on a three-point attempt, successfully converting two out of three free throws. With 4:36 left in the first half, he confidently sank a 26-foot shot. By halftime, Demin had accumulated 11 points, one rebound, one assist, and one block in just 11 minutes, showing composure at the free-throw line by hitting six of seven attempts.
Prior to Demin’s energetic contribution, Toronto had dominated the game. Brooklyn struggled from the start, quickly falling behind 10-2 due to a combination of turnovers and ineffective transition defense, allowing the Raptors to gain an early advantage. Toronto asserted control in the paint, exploiting the Nets’ defensive lapses and communication breakdowns.
The situation worsened with rookie Ben Saraf, who had returned to the starting lineup for the preseason finale, committing two early fouls and multiple turnovers. This prompted head coach Jordi Fernández to call upon fellow rookie Nolan Traore midway through the first quarter. However, the team’s woes persisted, highlighted by Traore being stripped of the ball on his first possession, marking Brooklyn’s sixth turnover of the period and encapsulating their shaky start.
By halftime, the Nets had committed 16 turnovers, which Toronto capitalized on, converting them into 31 points and securing a 72-56 lead. Amidst these struggles, aside from Demin’s impressive performance, Michael Porter Jr. emerged as Brooklyn’s reliable offensive contributor, amassing 19 points in his first 16 minutes on the court.
Demin’s poised debut stood out as one of the few bright spots in an otherwise mistake-filled first half, earning him a spot on the floor to open the third quarter. He’d go on to play eight more minutes in the second half, finishing with 14 points, five rebounds, one assist, one block and two turnovers.
The Nets outscored Toronto 30–25 in the third quarter despite shooting just 36% from the field and committing five more turnovers, trimming the deficit to 11 heading into the final frame. Ziaire Williams sparked the surge, scoring nine of his 20 points in the period to help Brooklyn keep clawing back. Early in the fourth quarter, a Porter 3-pointer cut the lead to five, and a Williams steal and slam moments later made it a three-point game with 8:51 remaining.
Surprisingly, both coaches kept their key rotation players on the floor deep into the fourth, giving the preseason matchup the intensity of a regular-season battle. A crafty lefty finish from Saraf with 7:05 remaining gave the Nets their first lead of the night, setting the stage for a back-and-forth thriller down the stretch.
A Brandon Ingram 3-pointer put Toronto ahead by three with 58.7 seconds remaining, and after a missed Nets possession, a defensive lapse led to an easy RJ Barrett dunk that stretched the lead to five and sealed the game.
Porter finished with a game-high 34 points, while notable reserves Danny Wolf, Kobe Bufkin and Jalen Wilson did not see action. Demin was the clear story of the night, but Brooklyn’s resilience under Fernández continues to shape the team’s identity. As preseason finales go, the Nets couldn’t have asked for a more encouraging tune-up before the games start to count.
With all five rookies now having logged meaningful minutes and the 15-man roster essentially finalized, Brooklyn turns its focus to the real thing: the start of the 2025–26 regular season Wednesday night against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center.
