SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 04: Egor Demin #8 of the Brooklyn Nets drives to the basket on Nique Clifford #00 of the Sacramento Kings during the first half in the California Classic a NBA Summer League game at Golden 1 Center on July 04, 2026 in Sacramento, California.
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(Photo by Thearon W.
Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images Its Game One of Summer League, a long way from preseason, then regular season but its also been a long time since Brooklyn Nets fans saw their team in action back in April and so the interest level was high on July 4th.
There was some disappointments like the Nets lost , 76-76, to the Sacramento Kings, and Mikel Brown Jr., the teams highest draft pick in 16 years, didnt play ..
so the anticipated faceoff between him and Darius Acuff didnt materialize.
...And according to Summer League coach, Dutch Gaitley, Brown wont be playing in Game 2 either on Sunday afternoon vs.
the Bucks.
His NBA Summer League debut will have to wait till Monday night when the Nets meet up with the Golden State Warriors.
As Jordi Fernandez Still, there were positives among those who did play, led by second year rookie, Egor Demin who scored 23 points, grabbed seven boards and handed out one assist in 27 minutes.
The big improvement in the 69.5 guards game was his willingness to touch the paint ..
and his desire to show leadership, as he told NetsDaily..
Egor Demin on his motivation today: "I don't want to say pressure,you know of being a leader,but I'm kind of embracing the role of a guy who spent the year in the NBA already.I want to take that role on myself coming here&lead the team,mentally,on the bench&on the court as well." pic.twitter.com/yCD6NJo2N7 Shara Talia Taylor (@staliataylor) July 5, 2026 Demin was part of the Nets big first quarter push which saw them amount a 21-1o lead while holding Acuff to 1-of-9 shooting in his Summer League debut.
Then in the second quarter, they let the Kings reel off 18 straight, mostly with the second unit on the court, at Golden1 Center.
Both Demin and Nets coach Dutch Gaitley lamented the drop-off..
Nets Summer League Head Coach Dutch Gaitley on the Nets: "We came out great,but then we had some lows,we battled back,took the lead, & I thought the effort was great.I think we can clean up some of the execution stuff.
He wants to work on turnovers.The Nets had 20 & the Kings 9 pic.twitter.com/yhYZkE5GiQ Shara Talia Taylor (@staliataylor) July 5, 2026 Demin admitted the Kings came with more physicality, an issue that has plagued the Nets whether in Summer League or regular season..
Egor Demin on the Kings' comeback in the second quarter: "I think they did a good job bringing up physicality.
They were pushing more than they started." pic.twitter.com/hrugJQY4P9 Shara Talia Taylor (@staliataylor) July 5, 2026 After tying the game at 37-37 at the games midway point, the two teams battled back and forth until the end with Acuff finally showing what got him taken at No.
7 in the June draft, his ability to simply take over a game ..
In the end, it was Acuff who fed Nique Clifford for what turned out to be the dagger with five seconds left..
Nique Clifford hits a SWEET game-winner for the @SacramentoKings ! pic.twitter.com/o9sXOiwg9j NBA G League (@nbagleague) July 4, 2026 Acuff finished with 29 points along with four assists and a rebound.
After his slow start shooting, Acuff ultimately finished 9-of-29, but hit only one 3-pointer in nine attempts.
Gaitley told ND post-game that he wished his team could have done a better job on the Arkansas product..
Nets Summer League Head Coach Dutch Gaitley on the Nets defense: "I wish we would have done a better job on Acuff, 25 points.
I think we made them inefficient with 9 for 29, but you know he really got going there at the end, but I think defensively, we did a decent job." pic.twitter.com/osEsbIqWvq Shara Talia Taylor (@staliataylor) July 5, 2026 Besides Brown Jr., the Nets were also without Danny Wolf, who was kept on the bench by a sore back.
His status remains uncertain for the rest of the California Classic, Gaitley said.
Two other members of last years draft class Drake Powell and Ben Saraf started for Brooklyn and while Saraf had some moments as he finished with 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting, none from beyond the arc.
to go along with six boards.
His defense on Acuff early in the game was a big positive, but Powell did not play well, missing all nine of his shots, including five threes.
He did register six rebounds.
Nets returning two-way Chaney Johnson had 10 boards and 10 boards on the game and played a strong defensive game.
Johnson, who turned 24 last week, started for Brooklyn.
Finally, the Nets second rounder in the 2026 Draft, 69 SF Tyler Bilodeau, had a solid game for his first pro encounter with nine points in 25 minutes.
The UCLA product finished 4-of-6 overall, including 1-of-3 from deep while grabbing six boards.
He too is Long Island bound, having agreed, like Johnson, to a two-way deal last week.
As noted, the Nets other first rounder, Joshua Jefferson out of Iowa State cant play until Monday when the three-team trade that will bring his rights and Julius Randle to the Nets is finalized.
Also, both Nolan Traore and Grant Nelson, rookies on last years team, wont play in either.
Next Up The Nets play the Bucks at 3:00 p.m.
ET on Sunday in Game Two of the California Classic.
The game will be carried on the same outlets as Game 1, including Prime, NBA TV and League Pass, ESPN+ and Gotham Sports.
Gaitley told ND he fully expects Brown Jr.
to play vs.
the Warriors Monday after sitting out the first two games of the back-to-back-to-back.
Wolf is less certain, said the Brooklyn Nets assistant..
Nets Summer League Head Coach Dutch Gaitley on the reason not to play Mikel Brown Jr.
and Danny Wolf: "He is slated to be ready to play on Monday, that's going to be the goal and then Danny just has lower back soreness and we want to be smart." pic.twitter.com/hbKVXljqqW Shara Talia Taylor (@staliataylor) July 5, 2026 After the weekend, the Nets will fly to Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League which begins July 9.
The Nets will play their first game the next day vs.
the New York Knicks entry, the first of a guaranteed five games.
Boxscore: Sacramento Kings 79, Brooklyn Nets 76 NBA Game Highlights: Sacramento Kings 79, Brooklyn Nets 76 (Video) NBA.