After missing six games due to a leg injury, Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin delivered his best performance of the season on Wednesday. Demin scored a team-high 22 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field, 4-of-6 from three and 8-of-10 from the free-throw line in 23 minutes during the Nets' 145-111 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
“I didn’t try to force anything. All the praise to my teammates, who were finding me in those situations where I could be successful for them,” the Nets guard said of his performance. “And obviously when you see the shot going in, the next one is going with even more chance… I was super comfortable out there with what we’ve been doing on the court with everybody else. So yeah, I’m super grateful. None of that would be there without our game plan and my teammates.”
back like he never left 😎 https://t.co/iP5OuKOJDS pic.twitter.com/331CuXay6Z
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 12, 2026
Demin had struggled to begin the season before a bone bruise in his right leg forced him out for six games. The 2025 No. 8 pick averaged 9.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 turnovers on 8-of-26 (30.8 percent) shooting from the field and 6-of-19 (31.6 percent) from three across his first three appearances. That stretch included losses to the Charlotte Hornets and Indiana Pacers during which Demin scored seven combined points.
The sophomore guard posted two points on 1-of-3 shooting, with one rebound, two assists, and one turnover in 10 minutes before sustaining his leg injury during an Oct. 27 loss to the Boston Celtics.
Egor Demin turns in season-best performance in Pelicans win after six-game absence
Demin shook off those struggles while finding his shooting stroke against the Pelicans.
“It just [speaks to] how ready he was to get back and impact the group and the game,” Jordi Fernández said. “And not just his passing and his shot-making, but also driving into the paint and playing with a lot of pace. I thought the communication with his teammates was good. That's a good sign. And I think that we're growing right there with the group that we have.”
Demin was one of the Nets' few bright spots during last year's tanking season. The BYU product was one of three rookies last season to average over 10.0 points and 3.0 assists with a true shooting percentage above 56.0, alongside Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel and San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper.
Article Continues BelowHis three-point shooting in New Orleans was a welcome sight for a Nets team that was coming off a 37-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
“It was good to see Egor shoot the ball well. It’s one of his better games he’s had so far this season,” Michael Porter Jr. said. “It was good to see him play well for sure.”
Demin emerging as a consistent offensive threat will be critical if Brooklyn hopes to exceed expectations this season. Following Wednesday's win, the Nets rank 24th in offensive rating (109.3), averaging 110.2 points on 44.2 percent shooting from the field and 35.7 percent from three, with 24.0 assists and 17.8 turnovers per game.
Demin and the Nets will have a good opportunity to begin their first winning streak of the season when they travel to face the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on Saturday. The Grizzlies have lost four of their last five games following a 6-0 start. They'll be on the second night of a back-to-back, with travel, and will be playing their fourth game in six nights against the Nets.