Three Takeaways From The Nets' Heartbreaking Overtime Loss To The Magic

Fresh off a big win over the Nuggets on Sunday, the Brooklyn Nets (11-23) continued their home stand with a matchup against the Orlando Magic (21-17) on Wednesday night.

With Nic Claxton returning to the lineup following a two-game absence due to personal reasons, this was the healthiest the Nets have been in a while. The game quickly turned into an instant classic, as the two teams went blow-for-blow in a wild overtime game. However, it was Orlando that got the last laugh, as Paolo Banchero banked in a three at the buzzer in overtime to give the Magic a 104-103 win.

Here are the the biggest takeaways from the Nets heartbreaking defeat to the Magic.

1. Nets First-Half Offense Struggles

Brooklyn's offense has been very hit-or-miss all season long. And in the first half of Wednesday's game, it was mostly a miss. Michael Porter Jr. was excellent, per usual. MPJ had 18 first-half points on 7-12 shooting from the field. The rest of the team combined for 25 points on 9-31 shooting in the opening 24 minutes. Porter Jr. was 4-8 from three, while everyone else went 2-17 from behind the arc.

The Nets' defense was great in the first half, allowing them to enter the half only down five points despite an abysmally poor offensive start. But the offensive concerns were real. Porter Jr. can't do it alone, and on a night when the Nets were mostly healthy and rested, this was a disappointing way to start the game.

2. Michael Porter Jr. Continues All-Star Push

6 TRIPLES FOR MPJ!

⭐️🗳️ https://t.co/2uadYF7hez pic.twitter.com/X9iTNV1Mmc
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 8, 2026

With the All-Star game just over a month away, players are making their final statements for why they should be All-Stars. MPJ did just that on Wednesday, putting on a show for the home crowd at Barclays Center. He finished the night with 34 points on 12-24 shooting, while adding five rebounds and three steals.

Porter Jr. is top-15 in the NBA currently in points per game, averaging a very efficient 26 a night. Entering Wednesday's game, he was averaging career-highs in rebounds (7.6) and assists (3.4) per game as well. His play is the only reason the Nets aren't at the bottom of the Eastern Conference right now, as he's won numerous games for Brooklyn this season. MPJ deserves an All-Star nod.

3. Egor Demin Has A Clutch Gene

THE ROOK IS ON FIRE!!!! https://t.co/sSFW8K8gDL pic.twitter.com/gthJphfSaH
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 8, 2026

It wasn't pretty for most of the night for Nets rookie Egor Demin, but when the game got tight in the fourth quarter, Demin rose to the occasion. He nailed a pair of triples late in the game, with the latter of the two tying the game with five seconds to play. He then proceeded to score all ten of Brooklyn's points in overtime, almost single-handedly winning the game. In the biggest moments of the game, the ball always seems to find the rookie from BYU, and he's delivered more often than not.

Demin would finish the game with 18 points, five rebounds, and five assists on 5-9 shooting. He didn't score in the first three quarters, but that didn't affect his mentality when the game was on the line. Demin has a short memory, which is an excellent trait for a young player to have. He's going to be a good one for a long time in Brooklyn, and he's already building quite the highlight package.