Nets player grades: Michael Porter Jr. drops 34 in OT loss to Magic

5 days ago 2

NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets (11-23) were coming off one of their better wins on Sunday over the Denver Nuggets and the Nets had the chance of extending their winning streak to two games. With the Orlando Magic (21-17) coming to town on the second night of a back-to-back, Brooklyn had a solid chance of pulling off the win until victory was snatched away from them at the last second.

The Nets lost to the Magic on Wednesday, 104-103, in overtime in a game where Brooklyn came back from an 18-point deficit to force the game into overtime. Forward Michael Porter Jr. had 34 points and five rebounds while rookie guard Egor Demin had 18 points (all in the fourth quarter and overtime), five rebounds, and five assists in a rollercoaster of a game.

The Nets thought they had a win when Demin hit his last three of the game before Magic forward Paolo Banchero, who finished the game with 30 points and 14 rebounds, including the buzzer-beating three-pointer in overtime. Despite the loss, Brooklyn showed a lot to be able to come back into the game so here the Nets player grades following Wednesday's loss to Orlando:

Egor Demin: A

Demin wasn't able to get anything to fall from the floor as he struggled to get himself going from behind the three-point line in the first tree quarters. However, from the fourth quarter moving forward, Demin took over the game, especially shooting the three-pointer after missing for the majority of the game. While Demin had his fair share of issues in the first 36 minutes, he did a good job of rebounding, passing without turning the ball over, and he made some nice plays on the defensive end of the floor.

Ziaire Williams: C

Williams surprisingly made it into the starting lineup in place of Terance Mann, but he struggled in his spot start outside of his offense. Williams was efficient with his shooting, especially off of the looks that he got from Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas, but he struggled defending his man without fouling and that caused problems for him later in the game.

Michael Porter Jr.: A

Porter came out of the gates firing as he scored 12 points in the first quarter and the reason why was more of the same as he was able to get to his sweet spots all over the floor. While Porter struggled mightily to take care of the basketball, he did a solid job of rebounding the basketball and he was able to get into the defensive passing lanes on multiple occasions.

Noah Clowney: B

After playing so well against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, Clowney struggled with his shot in this one despite getting some premium looks throughout the contest. Clowney has been shooting the three-pointer at a better rate this season, but there are times where Clowney's shooting is more streaky than consistent. He was solid on the defensive end of the floor to his credit.

Day'Ron Sharpe: B-

Despite Nic Claxton returning to the lineup after missing the past two games due to personal reasons, Sharpe remained in the starting lineup since Claxton was on a minutes restriction for the game. Sharpe was efficient with his limited touches near the rim and he did a good job of bringing his customary rebounding energy to the game.

Danny Wolf: C+

Wolf struggled shooting the ball in this one as he had trouble finishing at the rim over the size and length of Orlando's frontcourt, but it was encouraging to see him trying to be aggressive with his driving. Wolf did a good job of getting on the boards and made some nice defensive plays, but his offense has fallen by the wayside in recent weeks.

Nic Claxton: B

Claxton returned to the rotation after missing the past two games due to personal reasons and his stats didn't pop off the page due to his minutes restriction. To his credit, Claxton did a good job during his time on the floor as he scored the ball in the paint and rebounded well while protecting the rim, but he just didn't get that much time on the floor to affect the game more.

Cam Thomas: C+

Thomas struggled shooting the ball in this one as he had trouble getting any daylight against the length of the Magic while also not having his usual shooting touch from the floor. Thomas will always be aggressive with the ball in his hands and as he adjusts to his new role as the sixth man, he will have to figure out how to be more consistent on a game-by-game basis.

Drake Powell: D

Powell struggled scoring the ball as he couldn't get anything to fall throughout the game, but it was good to see him being willing to take the shots that came his way, even when he was missing. Powell has been experimenting with his offensive game and what kind of shots he can get to and that will be the next stage of his development in terms of being a complete player.

Nolan Traore: B

Traore had some solid moments against the Magic as he took the easy shots that came his way within the offensive stricture while showing more of the probing to get to spots that he likes on the floor. Traore did a good job of taking care of the basketball while providing solid perimeter defense as he appears to look more like a player that can be the backup point guard for the time being.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets player grades: Michael Porter Jr. drops 34 in OT loss to Magic

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