Jan. 14, 2026, 11:18 p.m. ET
The Brooklyn Nets (11-27) had one game left on their three-game road trip and after blowing solid chances to beat the Memphis Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks, the Nets had a solid matchup at the New Orleans Pelicans (10-33). Brooklyn once again had a lead in the fourth quarter, but their inability to rebound the basketball and string together successful offensive possessions cost them another game.
The Nets lost at the Pelicans 116-113 on Wednesday despite having as much as a 12-point lead due to their ability to prevent New Orleans from getting offensive rebounds and second-chance points. Forward Michael Porter Jr. had 20 points and seven rebounds, but he struggled to a 7-of-19 shooting performance on the last day of All-Star voting. Rookie Egor Demin had 17 points and five assists while rookie Drake Powell had 16 points and five rebounds.
The Pelicans saw forward Trey Murphy III have one of his best games of the season with 34 points, nine rebounds, and five assists as New Orleans picked up 18 offensive rebounds that led to 33 second-chance points. Brooklyn had a chance to win one game on their road trip, but they just couldn’t finish any of those games. Here are the Nets player grades following Wednesday’s loss at the Pelicans:
Egor Demin: B
Demin did a great job of shooting the ball from behind the three-point line and at this point, it looks like teams will have to start respecting his shot more. Demin, who missed Monday’s 113-105 loss at the Dallas Mavericks with Brooklyn managing his plantar fascia injury, looked like himself with the ball in his hands, especially since he took care of it while making some outstanding passes to his teammates.
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!Drake Powell: B+
Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez made a surprising move by keeping Powell in the starting lineup, sending Terance Mann to the bench for the first time this season. Powell did a great job of scoring the ball as he made some nice moves with the ball in his hands and he brought his all-around style of play with his rebounding, passing, and his effort on the defensive end.
Michael Porter Jr.: C+
On the last day for fans to vote for the All-Star Game, Porter had one last chance to show his candidacy for the showcase, but his performance was underwhelming compared to what he has done this season. Porter struggled scoring the ball, especially from three-point range, and while he did his job rebounding the basketball, the Nets rely on him to get closer to 30 points to win a game like this.
Noah Clowney: B
Clowney had a quiet scoring game in this one as he didn’t take too many shots, but that also means that he didn’t force any looks, allowing him to be efficient with his touches. Clowney did a great job getting on the glass, especially against athletic bigs in Zion Williamson and Yves Missi, and he showed more of his passing chops than he has done up to this point in the season.
Nic Claxton: B-
Claxton had a fairly-formidable matchup against the aforementioned Williamson, Missi, and rookie Derik Queen and it seems like he couldn’t make much of an impact on the offensive end of the floor. Claxton was fairly-efficient scoring the ball near the rim, but he has had better days with his finishing and his passing. Claxton did a good job of protecting the basket throughout the game, though.
Danny Wolf: C+
Wolf did a decent job on the offensive end as he posed a threat throughout the game, but his offense has dipped in recent weeks for a variety of reasons, including his playing time decreasing as the team has gotten healthier. Wolf did a good job of rebounding the basketball and making plays on the defensive end of the floor, but he also fouled out of this one because he couldn’t stay disciplined when guarding his man.
Day’Ron Sharpe: B
Sharpe has shown himself to be exceptional with his production on a per-minute basis and in this matchup against New Orleans’ frontcourt, he was one rebound away from his second straight double-double. Sharpe was nearly-perfect scoring the ball at the rim and obviously did his job rebounding the basketball during his time coming off the bench.
Terance Mann: D
Mann came off the bench in this one for the first time this season in what was an interesting move by Fernandez that seemed to be reasonable considering the aftermath. Mann wasn’t particularly involved on the offensive end outside of his ball-handling, but to that point, he did a good job of running the offense was one of the backups coming off the bench.
Cam Thomas: B-
Thomas struggled shooting the ball against the Pelicans as he found it difficult to get himself open going against players like Bryce McGowans and Jordan Poole. While Thomas made some nice plays via his scoring, he also showed his impact making plays for his teammates, especially when he drew a second defender due to the gravity that he has with the ball in his hands.
Nolan Traore: D
Traore struggled shooting the ball once again as it’s becoming clear that his shooting will need some work when it comes to finding his spots on the floor within the flow of the offense. Traore has been asked to take the open shots that he gets within the offense, but he’ll have to work on his readiness hitting open shots. Traore was also inefficient handling the ball and also had trouble defending the ball without fouling.