Egor Demin explodes with a record 23 points in the second half of the loss to the 76ers

The The Brooklyn Nets lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 115-103 on Friday at first it looked like a forgettable game for Egor Demin. The eighth pick struggled in the first half, failing to score on 0-of-3 shooting with two assists and two turnovers in 11 minutes. Then the second half happened, and the Nets rookie put on a performance that many will view as his official coming-out game.

Demin scored a game-high 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and 5-of-12 from three in 19 second-half minutes. He added eight rebounds, three assists, a steal and two blocks, pulling the Nets within single digits after trailing by 19.

“I think we just needed to flip a switch and find a way,” Demin said. “And for me, that was a moment where I felt better. And I found that extra energy in me. And then I’m starting to feel it a little bit better… It’s just being able to really find that assertiveness and find how to be determined. Being determined and being focused on what I can control, right, and what we can control as a group. Just keep really following our fundamentals and really trying to get the goal and stop game-planning.”

Yegor Demin 23 points, 9 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 8/18 FG, 5/14 3FG, 60.9% TS vs 76ers https://t.co/BFMtKVRkVF pic.tvitter.com/CJBmiiiFeb

— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) November 29, 2025

Demin’s performance in the second half showed several qualities led the Nets to select him with their first lottery pick in 15 years.

Nets rookie Yegor Demin scores 23 points during second half loss to 76ers

On the floor, the Russian floor general was confident and determined offensively, pulling off threes, attacking close ones on rim drives and creating for his teammates in the pick-and-roll. Defensively, he used his 6-foot-10 wingspan to clear the boards and come away with several steals and blocks.

“It was fun. I didn’t know, but I think he had zero points at halftime,” fellow rookie Danny Wolf said of Demin’s performance. “And then the second half … I was a part of the first few minutes of the fourth quarter. He really makes it easy for everyone, especially with how well he shoots the ball. When I was on the bench at the end of the game, it was pretty fun to watch because he looked confident and comfortable out there. It was great to see.”

After a slow start to the season, Demin was one of the best rookies in the NBA in recent weeks in the midst of transitioning into the Nets’ starting lineup. The 19-year-old is averaging 10.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.8 turnovers on 40/36/88 shooting over his last 10 appearances.

Despite Demin’s second-half explosion Friday, head coach Jordi Fernandez expects more from Brooklyn’s first draft pick.

“I mean, the line looks good. I like his aggressiveness,” Fernandez said. “Eighteen attempts from the field is really good. Five assists to three turnovers. I don’t like it. It should have been one less turnover and one more assist to be good. I like the rebound. And then defensively, he needed a little bit to get into the game, like the rest of his teammates, but I have to talk about only one player.

“I’m happy for him. I played those 30 minutes and I saw the ball go in. But he still has to be better, he has to be better, we have to be better as a group. We have more standards for high standards for everybody here. To have 23 points in one game, that’s what it is. I mean, I’m happy for him, but at the same time, I want more from him and the group.”