Israeli guard Ben Saraf made a strong first impression in his NBA debut Wednesday night, starting for the Brooklyn Nets at just 19 years old and showing poise and confidence in a 136–117 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
Saraf, one of two Israelis on Brooklyn’s roster, finished with eight points, seven rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes. He shot 2 of 7 from the field and 4 of 6 from the free-throw line, without committing a turnover and with only two fouls.
Brooklyn’s other Israeli player, Danny Wolf, missed the game with an ankle sprain and will continue to wait for his debut.
Saraf directed the Nets’ offense early, earning the trust of head coach Jordi Fernández and veteran teammates. He scored his first NBA points on a drive to the basket and drew several fouls through aggressive play, though Charlotte’s big men blocked him twice in the second quarter.
The Hornets, also relying on young talent, started rookies Coon Knipple and Ryan Kalkbrenner, but leaned heavily on Brandon Miller, who scored 25 points in his return from an injury-plagued rookie season. LaMelo Ball added 20 for Charlotte, which pulled away in the third quarter and led by as many as 22 points.
Fernández benched stars Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas midway through the game for lackluster defense and isolation play. Saraf and the reserves briefly trimmed the deficit, but Charlotte maintained control and cruised to the win. Saraf did not play in the fourth quarter.
Nic Claxton led Brooklyn with 17 points, Thomas added 15 — including 11 from the line — and Day’Ron Sharpe and rookie Yegor Gyomin each scored 14 off the bench, with Gyomin hitting four 3-pointers. Nine of Charlotte’s 10 players scored in double figures.
In Portland, Israeli forward Deni Avdija opened his season with a strong performance, though the Trail Blazers fell 118–114 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Avdija, 23, scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 33 minutes but missed all six of his 3-point attempts. Portland led for most of the night but faltered late as Anthony Edwards erupted for 41 points, including several clutch baskets in the final minutes to lift Minnesota to victory.
Julius Randle added 19 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Timberwolves, while Jaden McDaniels scored 18.
For Portland, Jerami Grant had 29 points, Shaedon Sharpe added 15, and Jrue Holiday finished with 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds in his debut with the team.
The Blazers, who have targeted a return to the Play-In Tournament this season, will next host the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.