The Long Island Nets got plenty to like from their opening night box score, but not enough to leave Greensboro with a win.
In Friday’s G League opener at Novant Health Fieldhouse, Long Island fell 121-111 to the Swarm in a game that stayed tight for most of the night before Greensboro pulled away late. The teams traded the lead 12 times and were tied three times, with Long Island trailing 60-55 at halftime and 87-83 after three quarters. Then the Swarm took control with a 34-28 fourth quarter.
Grant Nelson gave Long Island its clearest standout performance. The two-way big man finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds in 27 minutes, going 8-of-16 from the field while grabbing six offensive boards.
He also added two assists, one steal and one block. The one blemish was his perimeter shooting, as he missed all five of his 3-point attempts.
For Nelson, it was an encouraging first step after a season in which he appeared in just four games with Brooklyn and spent much of his time trying to establish himself while dealing with knee issues that he says are now resolved after a summer of rehab.
Long Island also got useful production from two of its 2026 draft picks. Joshua Jefferson, selected with the 28th pick, posted 15 points, six rebounds and three assists while committing just one turnover.
The Iowa State product shot 5-of-9 overall and hit three of seven from deep. Listed at 6’9”, 240 pounds, Jefferson was drafted for his versatility, including his perimeter scoring and work on the glass.
Tyler Bilodeau, the No. 43 pick in June, added 13 points, four rebounds and two assists. The 6’9” UCLA product also made his presence felt defensively with five steals, the most ever by a Long Island Nets player in an NBA G League debut. Bilodeau, like Nelson, is on a two-way contract, and he shot 5-of-10 from the floor and 3-of-7 from 3-point range.
Not everyone found the same rhythm. Drake Powell, one of the two Brooklyn players assigned to Long Island, had a rough shooting night and finished with six points on 2-of-6 shooting. He missed all three of his 3-point tries, though he did contribute four rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal.
Ben Saraf also had trouble scoring, finishing with eight points on 3-of-14 shooting and 1-of-8 from beyond the arc in 32 minutes. He did, however, lead the Nets with seven assists and added two steals. The 6’6” guard, a 2025 first-round pick who came to Brooklyn from German club Ratiopharm Ulm, is still adjusting to the NBA system and the professional game in North America.
There were strong efforts elsewhere in the rotation, too. Isaiah Wong, the most experienced player on the roster, scored 16 points in 31 minutes and added six steals, two assists and one rebound while shooting 7-of-12 from the field and 2-of-4 from three. Wong has played more than 20 NBA games and spent a season in the Spanish league.
Dion Brown gave Long Island a lift off the bench with 15 points in only 16 minutes, going 6-of-9 from the floor and 3-of-5 from deep. The St. Louis product went undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft but had a strong Summer League showing.
Dain Dainja also made a quick impression in his first game with the team. Coming off the bench, the 6’9” big man with the 7’7” wingspan scored 16 points, pulled down six rebounds and blocked three shots in 21 minutes, while shooting 6-of-10.
Long Island gets a quick chance to respond, staying in Greensboro for a rematch with the Swarm on Saturday, November 7, in the second game of the opening-weekend set. After giving up 121 points in the opener, the Nets will be looking for cleaner defense while trying to build on the positives from Nelson and the rest of the bench.
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