This season is all about development and Brooklyn’s five first-round picks. But with Jordi Fernández trying to rally his Nets, he sat rookies Egor Dëmin and Ben Saraf the entire fourth quarter of their 117-112 loss to the Hawks on Wednesday for veterans Tyrese Martin and Terance Mann.
“Tyrese was awesome,” said Fernández. “So, it’s about us, and whoever helps right then to help the team fight. Here there’s nothing given to anybody. So I’m just rewarding a player who has had a great summer, and he’s playing well. That’s very simple.”
Martin had 13 points and five rebounds, including eight points and four boards playing every second of the fourth quarter. Mann finished with 11 points and a team-high six assists, handling the ball with Dëmin struggling.
Egor Demin of the Brooklyn Nets puts up a shot over Nickeil Alexander-Walker of the Atlanta Hawks during the first half on Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“Terance has a good overall feel for the game. He does a little bit of everything, and I like when he’s aggressive and he gets assists when he gets to the rim and he sprays the ball,” said Fernández. “So, that’s the energy I wanted to play with. Let it fly. So those six assists are great. It’s good to see.”
Neither Dëmin nor Saraf played in the fourth. The former had four points on 1-of-6 shooting to finish minus-18, and still hasn’t taken a shot inside the arc this season.
“Yeah, he’s got to figure it out. Obviously, I want him to touch the paint,” Fernández admitted. “We all, everybody, will figure it out that he’s a threat from the 3-point line, but he cannot play just behind the 3.
“So, touching the paint, spraying the ball, I’m okay if he finishes with a lot of 3s and a lot of assists, but at some point, can you be more aggressive when they’re in the bonus? And can you play off two feet, and all those things? This is the proper steps. I’m not that concerned.”
Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) drives past Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Saraf (77) in the third quarter at Barclays Center. Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Michael Porter Jr. acknowledged the Nets will have a hard time until Dëmin, Saraf and Nolan Traore settle in.
“It starts off with the point guard spot. It’s really hard to win in the NBA…we have a lot of rookie point guards who are going to be great in this league for a long time, but they’re still rookies,” said Porter. “The point guard position may be the hardest position in the game, and we’ve got young guys playing that position. It’s really hard to win when that point guard spot isn’t solidified.”
Day’Ron Sharpe grabbed his 500th career offensive rebound, joining Jerome Lane and Moses Malone as the only players in NBA history to do so before logging their 3,000th minute (since offensive/defensive boards started being tracked in 1973-74).
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Porter had his second 30-point game for Brooklyn (he scored 32) in just five games as a Net. He notched his second 30-point game in his 51st game for Denver last season.
Atlanta’s Trae Young had to leave the game with 1:52 left in the first quarter with a sprained right knee. He’d been standing under the basket on an inbounds play when Nic Claxton pushed Mouhamed Gueye in the chest, and the Hawk fell backwards into the side of Young’s leg.