Egor Demin puts up 23 as Nets fall 79-76 to Kings in Summer League opener, while Mikel Brown Jr. sits

The Brooklyn Nets opened their NBA Summer League slate with a 79-76 loss to the Sacramento Kings on July 4, their first action for many fans since April. The scoreboard result mattered less than the learning curve it represents this early in the calendar, but the night still carried a built-in storyline: Mikel Brown Jr. was expected to be a centerpiece and instead remained sidelined, keeping a high-profile local rivalry with Sacramento’s Darius Acuff from happening on opening night.

Brooklyn’s absence at the top of the draft class became more notable because Summer League is where those new pieces are typically tested in live reps. According to reporting tied to the Nets’ Summer League plans, coach Dutch Gaitley said Brown Jr. would not play in Game 2 either. His Summer League debut, therefore, was pushed further out to a later date when Brooklyn meets the Golden State Warriors, extending the wait on what has been framed as a major transition moment for the franchise.

With Brown Jr. out, the Nets leaned on the rotation they could access, and Egor Demin responded. Demin, a second-year rookie, scored 23 points in 27 minutes, adding seven rebounds and one assist. Multiple accounts emphasized that his improvement was not only about scoring, but about being more willing to get to the paint and take leadership responsibilities while the Nets tried to establish an early rhythm.

Brooklyn’s start was its best stretch of the night. The Nets built a substantial first-quarter lead, going up 21-10, and Sacramento’s Acuff had a difficult early look, going 1 of 9 in his Summer League debut while the Nets pushed the pace and forced misses. The momentum shifted later, however, as Sacramento followed with a scoring run, including a stretch of 18 consecutive points in the second quarter largely during second-unit play, and Brooklyn struggled to sustain the defensive intensity that had produced the initial cushion.

After the game returned to a more competitive balance, the Nets and Kings met in the middle of the floor with the score tied 37-37 around the midway point. From there, the contest turned into a back-and-forth finish, with Demin and the Nets’ guards and wings trying to answer the Kings’ physicality. Demin also acknowledged that Sacramento arrived with more physical play, an adjustment issue the Nets have faced before, according to the same reporting.

For Nets fans, the key takeaway is a mix of disappointment and clarity. The disappointment is obvious, with Brown Jr. still not available and Brooklyn losing the opener. The clarity is that Demin can create a consistent scoring footprint and rebound contribution without needing everything to be perfect, even as Sacramento’s intensity climbed. The next step to watch is whether Brooklyn’s offense stabilizes after the second-quarter swing and whether the Nets can translate Demin’s first-night promise into a full, coherent stretch against the next opponent when Brown Jr. finally returns to live action.

keyFacts