Israeli rookie Ben Saraf recorded a career-high performance overnight, but the Brooklyn Nets fell to their seventh straight loss, 126-122 on the road against the Sacramento Kings.
Saraf, a 19-year-old guard, continued his strong run with 22 points on 10-of-20 shooting. He missed all five of his 3-point attempts and went 2 for 2 from the free-throw line, adding three rebounds, five assists and two steals in 29 minutes. He scored 12 points in the fourth quarter to help keep Brooklyn within reach late in the game.
The performance marked a new career high for Saraf, surpassing his previous best of 15 points. It also exceeded the NBA rookie scoring high set by Israeli forward Deni Avdija during his time with Washington and moved him closer to Omri Casspi’s Israeli rookie record of 24 points.
Another Israeli player for Brooklyn, Danny Wolf, started the game but exited after 12 minutes with an ankle injury. He had nine points and four rebounds before heading to the locker room and did not return, leaving his status uncertain for the Nets’ upcoming game against Portland.
The game remained close throughout. Saraf scored six points in the opening quarter, including a buzzer-beater that gave Brooklyn a 34-30 lead. Late in the game, he cut the deficit to two points, but a defensive lapse left Sacramento’s Malik Monk open for a 3-pointer that extended the lead.
Monk led Sacramento with 32 points, including 10 in the final five minutes, and made seven 3-pointers while going a perfect 9 for 9 from the free-throw line. Devin Carter added 16 points and sealed the win with two free throws in the closing seconds.
For Brooklyn, Ziaire Williams scored 18 points and Nolan Traore added 17.
The Kings held a narrow lead late before Monk took control with key shots down the stretch. Brooklyn had a final chance to tie, but Traore stepped out of bounds on the last possession, ending the game.