The NBA season is in full swing, and Louisville basketball fans just saw one of their former Cardinals play the best game of the season so far. The Cards saw multiple Louisville players get drafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, including their former 5-star and the second-highest commitment in program history, Mikel Brown Jr.
Former Louisville star Mikel Brown Jr. gave Nets a glimpse of his potential in NBA debut
The Orlando native was drafted No. 6 overall by the Brooklyn Nets after averaging 18.2 points per game in his lone season at Louisville. Now, in his rookie season, he is starting with a minute restriction, playing about 20 minutes per game, but in his third game, he made a statement with a dominant, clutch 4th-quarter performance.
Mikel Brown Jr. just had his best NBA game yet
Brown finally got more than 20 minutes in a game last night, and while Brooklyn fell 125-24 to Boston in overtime, Nets fans loved what they saw.
The former Cardinal rose to the occasion in the fourth quarter and showed the nation why he was a top pick in the NBA Draft. He finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, but his fourth-quarter performance was something special to watch.
Brown had 11 points in the fourth quarter, including multiple notable plays. The first notable play was a 3-pointer well beyond the arc at the 6:47 mark that put the Nets up 99-97. Then, just a minute later, he was on the other side of the arc, caught the ball in rhythm, and splashed another 3-pointer, giving the Nets a 102-99 lead.
But the two biggest plays of the night came under a minute, when Brown drove to the rim and finished strong with his left, tying the game 111-111 with 47 seconds remaining. The play that drove Nets fans crazy was Brown catching the ball in the corner and finding the bottom of the net at the buzzer in regulation, sending the game to overtime.
Mikel Brown Jr. in the 4Q and OT vs. BOS
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 28, 2026
16 PTS
4 3PM
3 AST pic.twitter.com/S7sCTSOght
The No. 6 overall pick proved why he was the No. 6 overall pick, as he can be clutch and show up in big moments, tying the game multiple times, including a buzzer-beater that got Chris Paul’s attention.
Brown has a lot of upside, and he showed it last night when he played more than 20 minutes. He scored his NBA career high in the first game he played more than 20 minutes, and while the Nets didn’t get the result they wanted, Brown delivered a performance that should have the whole league talking.
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