Amidst the flurry of trade deadline activities, the Brooklyn Nets found themselves back on the court Thursday evening, facing the Orlando Magic at the Kia Center. The outcome served as a stark reminder that the team is still navigating its transitional phase.
Brooklyn was defeated by Orlando with a final score of 118-98, extending their losing streak to three games and bringing their overall record to 13-37. The game featured promising moments from the rookie backcourt, offering glimpses of potential growth, yet these were insufficient to compensate for a challenging night for Michael Porter Jr. He struggled significantly, managing only nine points on a dismal 2-for-13 shooting over 32 minutes.
Egor Dëmin emerged as a standout performer, achieving a career-high with 26 points and sinking six 3-pointers. His fellow rookie, Nolan Traoré, contributed 21 points and eight assists, marking his fifth consecutive start. Additionally, Danny Wolf, drafted 27th overall, added 13 points and six rebounds in just 22 minutes off the bench.
Dëmin took charge of Brooklyn’s offensive efforts early in the game, hitting 3-for-4 from the field and 2-for-3 from beyond the arc in his initial seven minutes. With Cam Thomas being waived earlier that day, Porter was anticipated to lead Brooklyn’s offensive charge. However, he missed his first four shots, and after nine minutes, he was benched, leaving Dëmin to take the reins.
Nic Claxton made history by securing his 188th assist of the season, surpassing Brook Lopez for the most assists by a center in a single season in franchise history. Claxton also added five points on his first three attempts, yet this achievement couldn’t disguise the team’s overall struggles.
The Nets were trailing by just two points when head coach Jordi Fernández opted to rotate his players at the 4:40 mark in the first quarter. Orlando quickly capitalized with a 5-0 run, expanding their lead to 22-15 and prompting Fernández to call a second timeout. Porter eventually broke his scoring drought with a 3-pointer assisted by Ben Saraf at the 3:17 mark, but by then, the Magic were already shooting an impressive 56.3%.
Brooklyn closed the quarter down 27-19, having hit just 31.8% of its shots. With turnovers piling up and looks failing to fall, the separation felt inevitable. Orlando made it so, opening the second quarter on a 12-2 run to stretch its advantage to 13 points with 9:26 left in the half.
When Desmond Bane knocked down his first 3-pointer of the night with 7:51 remaining, the lead ballooned to 17 and sent Fernández back to the sideline for another timeout.
Dëmin and Claxton did what they could. The pair combined for 22 points in the first half. No one else helped. The other 10 Nets who saw minutes before the break shot just 6-for-30, with Saraf, Noah Clowney, Drake Powell and Day’Ron Sharpe all scoreless. Orlando, meanwhile, got production up and down the lineup, building a 56-40 halftime lead while holding Brooklyn to 34.1% shooting.
Nothing changed.
As the Magic continued to pull away, Dëmin remained the lone constant for Brooklyn. Claxton cooled off. Porter stayed cold. Dëmin, though, kept firing, reaching 21 points on his fifth 3-pointer of the night with 6:59 left in the third quarter, marking his most points through three quarters and his fifth 20-point game. His early burst trimmed what had grown into a 22-point deficit down to 16, briefly injecting life into the Nets’ bench.
It didn’t last.
Dëmin scored 11 points in the period, but Brooklyn managed just 27 as a team, surrendered 32 on 54.2% shooting and entered the fourth quarter trailing by 21. The Nets never meaningfully cut into the gap down the stretch.
Overall, Brooklyn shot just 41.5% for the game and committed 19 turnovers. Orlando shot 53.7%, tallied 32 assists on 44 made field goals and was led by Desmond Bane, who finished with 23 points as part of a balanced effort that never let the Nets back in.
There was a notable moment for Brooklyn fans in the final frame. With 9:54 left and the Nets trailing by 21 points, all five of the team’s recent first-round picks shared the floor for the first time this season. They ripped off a 7-0 run.
After a whirlwind 24 hours and another lopsided loss, the Nets will return to Barclays Center on Saturday to face the Washington Wizards, a game that could offer a first extended look at Brooklyn’s new-look group.
