Egor Dëmin struggled through an invisible three-point, four-foul outing in the Nets’ 123-110 to Utah on Thursday night at Barclays Center, logging a low-energy 20:23 — and a mere 3:32 in the fourth quarter when he ceded playmaking duties to Ben Saraf and Tyrese Martin.
But coach Jordi Fernández gave the lottery pick a pass, saying the teenager was sick and should bounce back Saturday against New Orleans.
“The energy was not great, but he was dealing with some upper respiratory issues,” Fernández said. “I felt like he [tried] really hard, and the intentions were in the right place. It was just my decision because I know that he’s had problems with that. He was cleared to play, but it was something he had to deal with.
“That was not his game. Got to get some rest, get back, get good sleep. And then I know he’ll be better. I know he’s going to come back. He has high standards for himself.”
Danny Wolf posted 17 points and a career-high nine rebounds, finishing a plus-7 in another strong outing since being recalled from the G-League.
Over the past five games, he is averaging 12.4 points, 5.8 boards and 2.4 assists on 44 percent from deep.
The big man added three assists and flashed his playmaking but also his penchant for turnovers. With the game at 98-98, his ill-advised crosscourt pass got picked off and resulted in a tiebreaking Jazz 3-pointer. The Nets never retook the lead.
“We keep talking about the playmaking efficiency. He had one questionable one. … That’s going to come with reps. He is very smart. His basketball IQ is high. And he just got to correct that. But I thought that his impact on the game tonight and the last three games was [good],” Fernández said.
“Obviously, last game, I had a few too many turnovers. A lot of them are just in my control,” Wolf said. “[Thursday] I did a better job of not forcing some of those passes and then I obviously had that one late in the fourth. I thought I saw something wasn’t there and they got a hand on it and it was a big possession. I wish I could have that one back. But as long as coach trusts me with the ball, it’s on me to take control of it and not give it up.”
Noah Clowney had 29 points — tied as the second-most points of his career — stepping up for absent Michael Porter Jr.
“I’ve got to be more aggressive when he’s not playing,” Clowney said. “The three games he hasn’t played, I felt like I was a focal point of the other team. They were treating me like a No. 1 option. I’ve never been a No. 1 option since high school, so I’ve never had to adapt to that. … It’s different when he doesn’t play.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
