Egor Dëmin registered another 20-point outing and hit a couple of key shots late on Tuesday, helping the Brooklyn Nets to a road victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Dëmin produced 20 points, five assists and two rebounds in the 114-106 win at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. He went 6-of-11 from the field, including a season-high-tying five 3-pointers, in 33 minutes as the Nets won for the sixth time in nine games.
The eighth pick in the draft tallied 15 points in the second half alone, helping the Nets push their advantage to 19 points. He scored eight of their last 10 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of 3s after the Sixers cut their lead to single digits.
“My teammates help me with (those 3-pointers), pretty much,” Dëmin said. “I’m really grateful for them and for their trust, for me to be able to take those shots. Their screens, their passes, that’s what gets me in those positions.”
Dëmin is averaging 9.4 points, 3.5 assists and 3.2 rebounds on 36.5% shooting from 3-point range in 26 appearances. He is seventh in total assists among rookies (90) and is one of 12 first-year players with multiple 20-point games.
The 6-foot-8 Russian has responded in a significant way after coach Jordi Fernández called him out following a three-point performance on Dec. 12. He has finished in double figures in four straight games for the first time this season, averaging 16.8 points over that span.
Dëmin has started the past 19 games for the Nets, showcasing his potential in spurts. Fernández has been pleased with his performance on the court of late and is hopeful the 19-year-old can continue to build on it and play more consistently.
“(What) I’m very proud of him is that there were two possessions that he guards the ball (and) he is physical,” Fernández said. “He kept (Tyrese) Maxey in front one or two times, and with (Jared) McCain. That is the growth I want to see: How his physicality is getting better on both sides of the floor, because I know he is going to make shots. I know he is going to find his teammates. … Right now, I want him to have the mindset of go to the next game and have a good game, whether the shots go in or not.”