Egor Demin Inching Closer to Return as Nets Prepare for Dallas Swing

ATLANTA — The Nets will face a depleted backcourt in Sunday’s game in Dallas, as both Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. are sidelined.

Demin is set to miss his sixth consecutive game, with the team planning to reassess his right‑leg injury after this absence. “He’s progressing well,” Nets coach Jordi Fernández said. “He’s on the court. He’s not going to play [Saturday] or [Sunday], and then we’ll go from there.”

Demin suffered a bone‑bruise in his right leg on Oct. 27 in Boston during a 125‑124 overtime loss to the Celtics. The Nets announced two days later that he would be reevaluated after one week.

The Russian guard missed a fifth straight game in Saturday’s loss at Atlanta. However, with the Nets scheduled to practice in Dallas on Tuesday, the organization has left the door open for Demin to potentially rejoin the roster during the upcoming four‑game road trip.

Meanwhile, Brown remains unable to handle back‑to‑back assignments. “It’s a plan that we have with professionals that know exactly about how your body is, how you feel after,” Fernández explained. “We assess the player, then we keep building him up. Right now he’s not gonna play back‑to‑backs.”

Center Day’Ron Sharpe recorded his first career triple‑double, posting 12 points, a career‑high 13 assists and 10 rebounds. “A lot of great players I’m playing with, Michael [Porter Jr.] has got a lot of gravity towards him… They’re trying to over‑help on Mike, so just making the right read every time,” Sharpe said.

Coach Fernández praised Sharpe’s performance: “Thirteen assists, four turnovers – those are elite numbers. We’re proud of him. We just gotta make sure that we keep rebounding as a group; it’s not just on him, but that’s probably a big reason why the game was lost right there.”

Noah Clowney, who had been listed as questionable due to an illness and a sore knee that forced him out of the win over the Hornets, is available for the upcoming contests.

Drake Powell, recalled from a G‑League assignment, joins the roster after being questionable. Joshua Jefferson, Ben Saraf, Tyler Bilodeau and Grant Nelson remain on assignment.

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