Mikel Brown Jr. showcased his talent in his Las Vegas Summer League debut, leading the Brooklyn Nets to a decisive 91-65 win over the New York Knicks on Friday night. The rookie lottery pick paired with second-year guard Egor Dëmin to help secure the victory at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Brown and Dëmin shared team-high scoring honors with 20 points each. While Dëmin carried the Nets early in the game, Brown found his rhythm in the second half, pouring in 16 points and delivering several highlight-reel plays that drew significant crowd reaction.
"Seeing my teammates, getting them open shots, seeing the ball go through the hoop obviously gets you going as well. But I know how much work I put in to get to this point," Brown said after the game. "The ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ are coming just because that’s just how I play."
Brown finished the game shooting 6-for-12 from the field, including 3-for-6 from three-point range. He also contributed three assists, two steals, and a block. Dëmin noted Brown's extensive offensive capabilities, stating, "His shooting ability, his ability to create his own shot, and how shifty he is, he’s gonna give a lot of trouble to the defenders just because of his feel for the game and his talent."
The Nets built a slim 38-33 lead by halftime but broke the game open in the third quarter, outscoring the Knicks 30-9. During this pivotal stretch, Brooklyn held New York to just 2-of-15 shooting with six turnovers. Brown contributed nine points, three assists, and a steal in the fourth quarter alone, helping to seal the Nets' commanding victory.
Brown also emphasized his commitment to improving his defense, aiming to overcome any perceptions of it being a weakness. "Yeah. absolutely. I really do feel like I can defend; like, I really do feel like I’m not a liability," he stated. "People put that burden on me, like, all his physicality and stuff like that. At the end of the day, man, mano a mano, you ain’t finna score on me. That’s just my mentality. And that’s how I carry it."
Chaney Johnson added 11 points and nine rebounds for the Nets, finishing with a +35 plus/minus rating while playing center at 6-foot-7. Additionally, coach Dutch Gailey expressed optimism that first-round pick Joshua Jefferson, acquired in the recent Julius Randle trade, could make his debut Saturday against Atlanta, following a period of workouts to stay sharp while unable to practice with the team.