Egor Dëmin delivered a breakout Egor Dëmin Nets performance—only to suffer heartbreak after Paolo Banchero’s buzzer-beater gave Orlando a 104-103 overtime win at Barclays Center on Wednesday.
For most of the game, the 19-year-old rookie stayed quiet. He scored zero points through three quarters. However, he exploded when the Nets needed him most.
He dropped 18 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. All came on five perfect 3-pointers. His surge turned a blowout into a thriller.
In fact, Dëmin hit two huge shots. With 5.6 seconds left in regulation, he tied the game with a corner triple. Then in overtime, he banked in a go-ahead 3 with 5.3 seconds remaining. The Nets thought they’d won.
Unfortunately, Banchero answered with a 26-foot bank shot at the buzzer. He stole the victory—and the spotlight.
Still, Dëmin earned high praise. “He has confidence in himself,” said teammate Michael Porter Jr., who scored 34 points. “When you work like he does, you can go scoreless for 3½ quarters and still hit the biggest shots.”
What made the night special was its storybook feel. “I used to shoot alone in the gym as a kid,” Dëmin said. “I’d imagine moments like this—hitting the game-winner, making five 3s in a row. It felt amazing. But we didn’t win, so it doesn’t really matter.”
His performance also made history. He set a Nets record for most 3s in a single overtime. He tied an NBA rookie mark shared with LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and others.
Despite the loss, Dëmin showed why the Nets see him as a future cornerstone. After all, this wasn’t his first clutch moment. He has often turned slow starts into late-game heroics—a rare trait for a teenager.
Looking ahead, this Egor Dëmin Nets performance signals big potential. Even in defeat, he proved he belongs. Soon, his “manifested” moments may end in victory, not heartbreak.
