Mikel Brown Jr.’s night against the Boston Celtics had the kind of ending nobody wants, but the bigger picture around the Brooklyn Nets’ top draft pick looks encouraging.
Brooklyn came within striking distance of its first win of the season on Tuesday before falling in overtime on Jayson Tatum’s buzzer-beater. The Nets had controlled much of the game, then surged in the fourth quarter to force the extra period in what was easily their most steady performance of the young year.
Brown was right in the middle of it. He logged 28 minutes, his highest total so far, and finished with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists.
The final sequence, though, is the one that will stick. With a little more than six seconds left and Brooklyn up by one, Brown caught the inbound on a cut to the rim from Noah Clowney.
Instead of pulling it out, he went up for a contested layup and missed. Tatum made the Nets pay on the next possession.
Afterward, Brown owned it.
"I did see the open lane, and I thought I had a layup, but the ball was kind of already slipping out of my hands, and PG [Paul George] was already coming towards my right side," Brown said. "So I felt like if I didn't go up with it, I kind of was gonna fall out of bounds... There's a lot of plays down the stretch that I messed up on, that I take full accountability for, and I'm gonna be better."
Even with that mistake, there were clear signs of growth. Brown looked comfortable as a shot-maker, especially in the fourth quarter, when he scored 13 points and hit three 3-pointers while going 4-for-6 from the floor.
Overtime was a different story. Brown cooled off and made just one 3-pointer on four attempts in the extra session, but the larger trend is hard to miss: his minutes are climbing, his scoring is growing, and his role as a playmaker is expanding too. A move into the starting five could be coming sooner rather than later.
In Other News...
Nets Must Reshape Their Backcourt Again After Egor Dmin Setback
The Nets are already making another adjustment to their backcourt rotation after Egor Dmin was diagnosed with a right leg bone bruise and sent for a re-evaluation in one week. Head coach Jordi Fernndez said Dmin is in good spirits and there is no concern about a long-term issue, but the timing still matters for a team that has been trying to sort out its guard minutes early in the season. Brooklyn also quietly reinforced its long view on the young core by picking up third-year team options for the 2027-28 season on Dmin, Nolan Traor, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf.
For now, though, the immediate focus is on who absorbs Dmins minutes while he sits out at least four games. The setback came during a stretch when Brooklyn was already navigating lineup changes, and it leaves the Nets waiting on both the injury update and the next chance to see how their backcourt pieces fit together once he is cleared to return. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Forced Into Another Backcourt Adjustment After Egor Demin Scare
The Nets are bracing for another backcourt shuffle after Egor Demin was sidelined with a right leg injury, adding another complication to a rotation that has already had to absorb a series of moving parts. Brooklyn is still sorting through its guard options as it tries to keep the pieces in place, and the timing is hardly ideal with the schedule offering little room to settle things down.
Demin has been diagnosed with a bone bruise in his right leg and will be reevaluated in one week, which means the Nets will have to cover his minutes without much certainty about when he can return. He is expected to miss at least four games, starting Friday against the Pistons, leaving Brooklyn to make yet another adjustment while it waits for a clearer update. [Read more 🡒]
Chaney Johnson Is Forcing A Real Nets Rotation Conversation
Chaney Johnson has spent his second year with the Nets making it harder to ignore what he brings every time he gets on the floor. He has been a steady presence for Jordi Fernndez across summer league, preseason and regular season play after signing a two-way qualifying offer, and his latest showing against Boston fit the pattern of a player who keeps strengthening his case for a longer look.
Against the Celtics, Johnson gave Brooklyn exactly the kind of dependable two-way minutes that can quietly reshape a bench. He has created a real rotation discussion by challenging other players for time, and the ripple effects have already been felt in how Fernndez has been sorting out the back end of the roster. [Read more 🡒]