The Knicks have gotten every last say against the Nets and its fans this past year, but not Summer League. Nope. Nets were not having that. They defeated the defending champs in Las Vegas 91-65 with Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor D\u00ebmin each scoring 20 points in the victory.<\/p>\n
Brooklyn moves onto face Atlanta on Saturday, a team boasting No. 8 pick Kingston Flemings. By little surprise, Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor D\u00ebmin are out tonight (second night of a back-to-back). The rest will play and Joshua Jefferson (28th pick) will make his Nets Summer League debut.<\/p>\n
With or without the main acts, there will be plenty of minutes to be earned for the others. Enjoy!<\/p>\n
Who: Brooklyn Nets vs. Atlanta HawksWhen: 8:00 PM ETWhere: Thomas & Mack Center, Las VegasTV\/Stream: ESPN, YES\/Gotham<\/p>\n
The Nets finished with a 2-1 record in the California Classic, and they defeated the Knicks on Friday without any problem. Things are looking good for the guys in black-and-white. Truly. The fanbase is slowly coming around to the new backcourt \u2014 two interchangeable guards who seemingly get along with one another.<\/a><\/p>\n That\u2019s what it\u2019s all about in Brooklyn. Plenty of losses the team can dwell on but right now the focus is on the good, it appears. We\u2019ll see if that sentiment remains during the regular season, but again, it\u2019s fun right now.<\/p>\n Unfortunately we won\u2019t get primetime Mikel Brown Jr. on ESPN against Kingston Flemings and the Hawks. Brown Jr. of course was taken two picks ahead of Flemings in the 2026 NBA Draft.<\/p>\n Otherwise, keep an eye on the other guys. There are three games left and it\u2019s crucial for young players like Drake Powell to step up. He hasn\u2019t shot the ball particularly well this summer, nor has he done enough to crack a spot in a rotation that\u2019s running deep \u2014 and now is evaluation time.<\/p>\n In a poll surveying fans<\/a> on NetsDaily, the community voted that Powell has the most to prove entering the season. Here\u2019s the good news: he\u2019s still only 20.<\/p>\n It\u2019s no secret that Egor D\u00ebmin is looking stronger and playing like it, too. He was asked about it on Friday night (via Erik Slater)<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI got so much stronger, and that gave me more confidence. The next step is trying. The more I try it, I think it gets better and better. So I\u2019m very excited about all the work that I\u2019ve done, and it\u2019s gonna keep growing.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth noting how Egor barely attacked the rim at Summer League last year. Now he\u2019s a menace in that area. Hopefully we\u2019ll get to see him on Saturday \u2014 it\u2019s becoming clear that his days playing in Vegas are numbered, until an expansion team arrives, of course.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been around long enough then you\u2019ll know how much Sean Marks appreciates his guys going out to Summer League and supporting one another. Not all are in attendance, but a newcomer arrived and his presence is already being felt.<\/p>\n