Inside The Nets

Three Takeaways From Nets Blowout Win Over The Bucks

The Nets led almost wire-to-wire to secure a dominating home win over the Bucks.
Zach Hiney|
Dec 14, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (17) looks to shoot the ball as Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma (18) defends during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Dec 14, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (17) looks to shoot the ball as Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma (18) defends during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

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Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets (7-18) returned home to the Barclays Center on Sunday night to host a Milwaukee Bucks (11-16) team without superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

It presented a great opportunity for the Nets to get back into the win column following a late collapse in Dallas on Friday. They did so in style, dominating the Bucks 127-82 behind a great performance from the entire roster.

Here are the three biggest takeaways from the Nets huge win over the Bucks.

1. Nets Dominant First Half

The Nets were in complete control of the opening 24 minutes of Sunday's game, racing out to a 65-48 halftime lead. Brooklyn shot 57% from the field, dished out 17 assists, and forced ten turnovers in the first half, which helped them take a huge lead into the locker room. The offense got into an early rhythm and never looked back, while the defense took advantage of no Giannis to stifle Milwaukee.

Brooklyn had six different players score at least eight points in the first half, showing off the depth of this roster playing at the top of their game. This was one of the best first halves of the season for the Nets and helped to really set the tone for the rest of the game.

2. Egor Demin Bounces Back

Things didn't go great for Egor Demin in Dallas on Friday. He scored three points on just 1-7 shooting from the field in 18 minutes, and was benched for the majority of the second half. That kind of performance could easily ruin the confidence of a young rookie. Instead, Demin used it as fuel for a monster game on Sunday.

He scored nine points in the first quarter to get Brooklyn off to a fast start. He finished the night with 17 points, three rebounds, and three assists. This was an excellent performance physically and mentally for the Nets' 2025 lottery pick. He could've folded after that game in Dallas. He decided to rise back up and bounce back instead. This was one of the best games of the season for Demin, for a multitude of reasons.

3. Everyone Chipped In

The Nets got contributions from up and down the lineup in this one. Nine players scored in double figures for Brooklyn, led by Demin's 17. All five members of the starting lineup reached double figures, as that group got things going early and kept the momentum out of the locker room in the third quarter. The bench was great as well, not letting up any pressure when the starters left the court.

It's great to see everyone stepping up for the Nets to pull away with a big win. Too often recently, Brooklyn has relied heavily on Michael Porter Jr. being Superman offensively to help keep them in games. The rest of the lineup upping their games when Porter Jr. scored just 12 points was the reason why Brooklyn won this game in the fashion that they did. This was the definition of a team win.

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Zach Hiney
ZACH HINEY

Zach is a recent college graduate covering the Brooklyn Nets for On SI. He also covers the University of Iowa athletics for HawkeyesWire and co-hosts a show on Iowa at the Voice of College Football.

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