George scores 26, but Egor Demin's career night lifts Nets over Jazz in return to Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. That was what Egor Demin accomplished in the Brooklyn Nets' 100-93 victory over the Jazz Friday night.

It was a homecoming of sorts for Demin, the rookie out of BYU, who made his first NBA appearance in Utah Friday night. When Demin's name was introduced as part of the starting lineup, he was greeted with cheers from the home crowd.

The return to the state where he played college ball was a successful one for Demin as he broke an NBA rookie record with 34 straight games with a 3-point make and recorded his first career double-double. Demin poured in 25 points on six 3-pointers and grabbed 10 rebounds.

"That win means a lot, especially for me being back home," Demin said. "It's very special, especially having some of the people that mean so much for me and feeling this BYU love from here."

The eighth overall pick in last year's draft, Demin got to work early for the Nets. He scored 9 points in the opening quarter while knocking down three triples. The knockdown shooting that Demin has shown during his rookie campaign is a sign of growth for the Russian native.

"He's been hunting his three all season," Jazz head coach Will Hardy said. "I think he's done a good job of reading, sitting in the pocket against the switch. If you make that your focus, you also can get more up. Maybe the volume isn't this high, but he's done a great job."

Demin shot just 27.3% from 3-point range for the Cougars last season but is now up to 40.3% with the Nets. Demin's shot-making ability has shown remarkable growth in just his first season while he has also adapted to the NBA game and defense.

Down Lauri Markkanen and Jusuf Nurkic, the Jazz were forced to play catch-up for most of the night but could never quite get over the hump.

Just when momentum seemed like it had finally flipped in the Jazz's favor late, Utah cut it to 2 with six minutes to play, but Demin immediately answered with another 3-pointer and Brooklyn did not relinquish the lead.

The Jazz failed to crack 100 points for just the fourth time this season, and it came at the worst time. The defense held up well for most of the game, and allowed the Nets to only score 109 points.

"Offensively, we didn't do a great job of attacking matchups in different moments. our spacing could be a little bit cleaner," Hardy said.

Keyonte George threw down some emphatic dunks on lobs from his teammates, getting the Delta Center crowd on their feet, en route to a 26-point outing for the Jazz.

It was a highly efficient game for George as he connected on 9-of-11 shots and added seven assists. It has been a highly productive season for the breakout guard and Friday was another in a long list of games that showcases why George could represent Utah as an All-Star.

"I think he's demonstrated that he's an elite scoring guard," Hardy said. "He's not just shooting, he's facilitating a lot for our team. His efficiency this year has been great. We'll see how it shakes up."

George exited the game late in the fourth quarter after appearing to tweak his ankle. He immediately knew something was wrong as he hopped toward the tunnel and back to the locker room.

"X-ray negative; we'll see how it reacts overnight," Hardy said.

George and Kyle Filipowski got things going early for the Jazz, combining for 18 first-quarter points. Filipowski had a solid outing and posted 14 points and 11 rebounds while getting the start at center.

Cam Thomas took over for Brooklyn in the second quarter for 12 points in what was part of 14 straight points Thomas scored for the Nets. That helped Brooklyn's second unit take a double-digit lead over Utah.

The Jazz were able to hold Thomas in check throughout the second half, but he still had a productive night for Brooklyn and finished with 21 points. Thomas, a streaky yet talented scorer, had his best scoring outing since Jan. 1.

With George's health in question and the NBA trade deadline looming, there will be important decisions for management to make on this potentially eventful road trip.

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