With the Nets hosting Portland — and rising Trail Blazers star Deni Avdija taking on Nets rookies Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf — Monday marked the first time three Israelis ever faced off in the NBA.
“Yeah, it’s special,” said Nets coach Jordi Fernández. “When other countries outside the US and Europe can be represented with three players here, it means the world, and it’s a special day that everybody has to enjoy. And I think they are already. …I don’t know Deni, but I’m sure he’s excited to play. I know Ben and Danny are.
“And that’s good. It’s one of the two times that we’ll see this and hopefully for many years, see how these guys grow. Obviously Deni, a career year and how much better he has gotten. And then our two young guys, they’re getting better. And I want to see this matchup over the years and how interesting, how cool it is to see them play against each other.”
Wolf started a third straight game with Michael Porter Jr. out.
He came into Monday averaging 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds over his prior ten games before Portland.
Porter missed a third straight game with a sprained right ankle Monday vs. Portland, but has resumed on-court work and appears to be close to a return.
“Yeah, I’m not qualified to talk about grades [on his sprain], but I can share that he did form shooting in the last game that we played, and [Monday] is going to be his first workout,” Fernández said before Brooklyn hosted the Trail Blazers. “So let’s see how he feels after it. He’s getting better, and then we’ll assess.”
Porter has sat out four of the past five games.
With 14 games left in the regular season, the Nets host the reigning champion Thunder on Wednesday.
Backup center Day’Ron Sharpe (left thumb UCL tear) and rookie lottery pick Egor Dëmin (left plantar fascia injury management) have both already been ruled out for the season. Veteran Terance Mann missed Monday’s tilt with left Achilles soreness and Noah Clowney was simply rested.
Saraf was available after having been listed as questionable with a left calf contusion.
The Nets started rookies Wolf, Nolan Traore and Drake Powell, along with Ziaire Williams and Nic Claxton.
Portland’s Damian Lillard and Shaedon Sharpe were both out. Chinese rookie Hansen Yang was with the G-League Remix.
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