Paolo Banchero's Dagger Silenced Loud Barclays Center in Nets Loss to Magic

Paolo Banchero nailed a 3-point game-winning buzzer-beating shot to lead the Orlando Magic to victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Jan 7, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) celebrates his overtime game-winning three point shot against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets were outclassed by the Orlando Magic through the first three quarters, trailing by as many as 18 points late in the third.

Michael Porter Jr. was working overtime to keep Orlando's lead from ballooning even further, fighting through the Magic's bevy of physical defenders and fighting for a sliver of space to get free.

Porter eventually maxed out at the 2:19 mark in the fourth quarter, hitting two clutch free throws to finish with 34 points on 12-of-24 shooting.

With the score 91-85 in favor of Orlando following Porter's two freebies, the Nets needed a hero to emerge to capitalize on Porter's efforts against a physical Magic defense.

Enter Egor Demin, who didn't score his first point until the 3:22 mark of the fourth quarter, when he sank two shots at the charity stripe.

That proved to get the BYU product going, as he followed that up with two 3-pointers, one that tied the game up at 93 with 5.6 seconds left in regulation.

The Barclays Center crowd was fired up. "Broooooklyn" chants echoed through the Barclays Center and Nets fans were fired up each time their defense stood tall late.

Orlando got out ahead in overtime and appeared to be in control, but Demin answered the call yet again, hitting three triples, including one that gave Brooklyn a 103-101 lead with 5.3 seconds remaining. Demin scored all 10 Nets points in the extra period, finishing the contest with 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting, five rebounds, and five assists.

However, Magic star Paolo Banchero suddenly killed all the good vibes flowing through the 'Clays, nailing a 3-point game-winning buzzer-beating shot to lead Orlando to victory.

While some might compare the energy to an anxiety-filled ride at an amusement park, Nets coach Jordi Fernandez doesn't quite see it that way.

"I don't think it was a rollercoaster for us," Fernandez said. "It was 14 to 29 for us and we won by 15 points in the fourth, so it was an amazing effort to come back. To try to do the right things. To play with urgency. Just really proud of the guys to show resiliency and keep fighting over and over and over. Take the lead, play good defense and at the end, obviously giving credit to Paolo."

A loss is a loss, but the Nets’ resilience in the face of a big deficit is something they can carry forward.