Nets player Egor Demin establishes NBA rookie benchmark with three-point shot
SALT LAKE CITY — Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin achieved a 3-pointer in an NBA rookie-record 34th consecutive game on Friday night against the Utah Jazz.
Demin established the record with the Nets’ initial basket. He converted 3-of-5 attempts from beyond the arc in the first quarter, accumulating 11 points.
Prior to Friday’s matchup, Demin was tied with Portland’s Rudy Fernandez (2008-09) and Philadelphia’s Landry Shamet (2018-19).
Selected 8th overall from BYU last year, Demin entered Friday’s contest with 98 3-pointers this season, placing him second among NBA rookies, behind Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel. He has recorded the second-highest number of 3-pointers through 40 career games in NBA history, only behind Knueppel, and has maintained a shooting percentage of 39.7% from long range during this period.
Additional practice dedicated to enhancing his shooting has enabled him to become a dependable threat from the perimeter.
“Shooting the ball,” Demin stated before Friday’s game against the Jazz. “As straightforward as it is, just being in the gym and shooting the ball.”
This achievement marks a significant improvement from Demin’s single season at BYU, where he shot only 27.3% from the three-point line. Although Demin faced challenges in finding his shot while in Provo, he acknowledged BYU coach Kevin Young for aiding his success as a rookie.
“He’s an NBA coach, so he taught me — in this one year — basically whatever I have to know to be able to play at the NBA level,” Demin remarked. “He provided us with a wealth of knowledge so that I come here and I’m prepared to play and I understand what we’re doing and I have an idea of what it is. He gave me this foundation of an NBA player to be able to come here and know what’s happening around me.”
Demin has another record within reach. He has made the second-most 3-pointers for a rookie in Nets’ history, trailing only Kerry Kittles’ 158 3-pointers during the 1996-97 season.
This season, Demin has set Nets rookie records for the most 3-pointers in a single game (seven) and the most games with five or more 3-pointers (six).
