Egor Demin drops 26 in 118-99 loss at Magic
Feb. 5, 2026, 10:00 p.m. ET
The Brooklyn Nets (13-37) made some notable moves heading into Thursday’s trade deadline, especially waiving guard Cam Thomas, and the hope is that they could turn the page after the extended rut they’ve been in. Brooklyn had the chance to on the road to potentially upset the Orlando Magic (26-24), but they did not get the result they were hoping for.
The Nets lost at the Magic 118-98 on Thursday in a game where Brooklyn trailed by as many as 26 points in the game as Orlando got whatever they wanted on the floor. Rookie guard Egor Demin notched his career-high of 26 points to pair with four rebounds while fellow rookie guard Nolan Traore had 21 points and seven assists to finish the game as the starting point guard.
The Magic performed their gameplan to perfection as their offense created easy shots while their defense generated plenty of turnovers as guard Desmond Bane led the team in scoring with 23 points. Brooklyn will be back at home for Saturday’s game against the Washington Wizards, but until then, here are the Nets player grades following Thursday’s loss at the Magic:
Nolan Traore: B-
Traore has been getting more reps as the starting point guard for this team after head coach Jordi Fernandez has rotated with the other rookie guards before most recently landing on the Frenchman. Traore is still trying to get some consistency with his offensive game, but he’s doing a good job of facilitating the ball and trying to play with active hands on the defensive end.
Egor Demin: B
Demin did a great job in this game of shooting the ball from behind the three-point line and while he made most of his offensive impact from deep, he has done a better job of trying to get to the rim when possible. Demin turned the ball over more than usual, but he also showed more effort rebounding the ball and is trying to be more physical on the defensive end.
Michael Porter Jr.: F
Porter’s shooting has been more inconsistent as of late and it seems that the way opposing teams are defending him is making it harder for him to get quality shots throughout the course of the game. Porter notably didn’t drive to the rim as much as he has done when defenders closed out hard to him and his defensive effort was lacking more than usual.
Noah Clowney: F
Clowney’s shooting has also been something that the Nets have missed recently as he just hasn’t been able to find his rhythm shooting the ball from three-point land and his dribble-drive game has been nonexistent. Clowney was solid with his effort on the glass, but his impact has been dwindling by the game and the hope is that he can turn it around soon.
Nic Claxton: B-
Claxton had one of his better games in recent weeks as he did a better job of remaining aggressive throughout the game, even when the blowout ensued as the Magic kept the pressure on. Claxton was virtually perfect scoring around the rim and in the paint and while he also had a solid presence on the glass, he is normally more active on the defensive end of the court.
Ziaire Williams: C-
Williams has been playing great basketball since he came back from his illness, but this game was one of those performances that he would probably like to forget as soon as possible. Williams couldn’t get anything to fall from the field despite getting some of the same shots that he has been making recently, but he was very disruptive on the defensive end of the floor.
Danny Wolf: C+
Wolf struggled with his shot for the most part in this one as he couldn’t get anything to fall from three-point land and the Magic did plenty to bother him with his finishes around the basket. Wolf was solid rebounding the basketball and showed some encouraging results with the ball in his hands, but the hope is that he can have those positive moments when the game is still in hand.
Day’Ron Sharpe: C-
This was an uncharacteristically unimpactful game for Sharpe as he wasn’t able to carve out much of a presence in the paint despite the Magic letting up somewhat in the second half with their huge lead. Sharpe has been excellent for the Nets on a per-minute basis this season, but this was probably his first truly bad game of the campaign when he played his usual amount of minutes.
Drake Powell: C
Powell was one of the players in this game that saw some playing time when the game was still in striking distance, but it seems that Fernandez is trying to bring Powell along slowly with his minutes increase. Powell had some solid moments in Orlando, but his shooting is still leaving plenty to be desired and his defensive effectiveness has tailed off in recent weeks.
Ben Saraf: C-
Saraf continued to see some minutes as the backup point guard behind Nolan Traore, but he was yet another player in this game that struggled with his shooting. Saraf made some nice dishes over the course of his time on the floor, but he also had some ball security issues with players like Jalen Suggs pressuring the ball on every dribble as Brooklyn is trying to break out of its funk.
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