Basketball
“It was scary, but I had to try.” Demin’s brave act in the NBA is being played all over America
Another strong match performed by Egor Demin.
The Russian guard of the Brooklyn Nets continues to delight fans on both sides of the ocean. In a lost match with the Los Angeles Clippers (105:121), Demin scored 19 points, making five three-point shots.
And the most striking moment with his participation was associated with a bold attempt to score through the center.
The most productive in “Brooklyn”
Demin’s performance at the end of the previous game with Orlando (103:104 OT) made all of basketball America, without exaggeration, talk about the Russian. Egor then showed phenomenal performance in the end and set a club record for the number of three-pointers in overtime (3). Such attention provokes special treatment from the opponent. If previously Egor was not considered a real threat, now the best defensive specialists among the Nets’ opponents are aimed at neutralizing him. However, even this does not prevent Demin from regularly bombarding the opponent’s hoop from beyond the arc.
Interestingly, the Russian defender reached a new level of accuracy and stability after sharp criticism from the team’s head coach in mid-December. After the disastrous game with Dallas, Jordi Fernandez came down hard on Demin, making it clear that he was not at all guaranteed a place in the starting five. Such a direct attack could have broken the young basketball player, but, as subsequent events showed, Egor’s mentality was all right. Since then, he has played 10 games, averaging 15.7 points per game and making 3.7 three-point attempts.
If Demin personally has been doing well lately, his team has found itself in a crisis: in six matches there is only one victory. Another defeat happened in a home game with the Clippers. The main culprit for the failure is the leader of “Brooklyn” Michael Porter, who gave a monstrous three-point performance – 0 out of 9. But Demin was again in perfect order with this component. In the first quarter, he made two attempts from around the corner, and subsequently punished the opponent three more times with long-range hits. This is the second time in a row, and only the fifth time this season, that he has made at least five three-pointers in a game. For 25 games in a row, Egor has not left the court without making a three-point shot.
In addition to 19 points, Demin recorded a personal best in steals (3), as well as three rebounds and the same number of assists. The Russian became the most productive player for Brooklyn, but even his efforts were not enough to force the Clippers into a real fight.
Demin was close to the dunk of the year
The main episode involving the defender was not even associated with elite accuracy (50%) on long attempts. In the third quarter, Demin almost pulled off the dunk of the year, trying to stick the ball into the hoop through the giant Brook Lopez. The Russian was not embarrassed by the 216-centimeter height of the Clippers center, but at the last moment he chose to foul so as not to get on the poster.
“It was scary, because Brook is really a very powerful guy.” At some point you need to start doing this, and the sooner the better. I saw a gap between it and the ring and decided to try it. “I wanted to show that I’m ready for such challenges,” Demin said after the match.
Although the Russian did not score, the episode was included in the highlights of the game day. Our guy’s brave act is being played all over America!
This episode is even more surprising if you know Yegor’s playing style. This season he very rarely went under the hoop, much less tried to score from above an opposing player. For his lack of initiative, he often received punishment from his coach. Apparently, Fernandez’s words have begun to work, which is good news. If another offensive component appears in Demin’s arsenal, this will increase his chances of becoming a real star and leader of Brooklyn for many years. There is little doubt that in February Egor will go to the first All-Star Game to take part in the game of the brightest newcomers in the league.
Source: Sportbox
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