Egor Demin ’s long-awaited preseason debut headlined Friday night as the Nets closed out their exhibition slate with a 119-114 loss to the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. It didn’t take long for Brooklyn’s first lottery pick in 15 years to make his presence felt.

The eighth overall pick in June’s draft checked in with 10:40 left in the second quarter, Brooklyn trailing by 14, and was immediately met by Toronto’s swarming defense. The moment tested his composure, but Demin looked comfortable from the start — handling the ball with confidence, helping organize the offense and flashing his defensive instincts with an early block and a pair of sharp deflections.

Demin’s first points came on a baseline cut, where Cam Thomas found him for an easy finish under the rim. Moments later, he

See Full Page