Nic Claxton, Nets react to epic buzzer beater following upset win over 76ers
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The Brooklyn Nets had one possession to salvage an upset win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday at Wells Fargo Center. After the 76ers trailed by 17 in the third quarter, Tyrese Maxey drained a three with 23 seconds left to tie the game.
Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez didn’t call a timeout to set up a final play. Trendon Watford drove and found Keon Johnson for an open three that missed, only for Nic Claxton to soar across the lane for a putback at the buzzer, sealing a 105-103 victory.
“Originally, I didn’t even know that I did beat the buzzer, so I was just trying to process everything, and I was just looking in the crowd,” Claxton said of the play. “And then I was like, I think it was good. And everybody came and just mobbed me. It was a great feeling… It's definitely [a] top three [moment] in all the years I’ve been hooping.”
The Nets entered the game tied with Philadelphia for sixth place in the draft lottery standings. With D’Angelo Russell sidelined, they were heavy underdogs against a 76ers squad with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George available.
However, Claxton and several other players stepped up to help Brooklyn secure its seventh win in nine games.
Nic Claxton caps upset Nets win with game-winner at buzzer
Claxton got the better of a hobbled Joel Embiid, posting 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting with nine rebounds and five blocks. The performance continues a hot stretch for the sixth-year center following a slow start to the season.
Claxton has averaged 12.6 points and 7.3 rebounds on 56.0 percent shooting over the last nine games. He’s anchored a defense that ranks first in the NBA during that span, blocking 3.3 shots per game.
"This is exactly what we know he can do. This is what makes him one of the premiere centers in this league,” said Cam Johnson. “His ability to run, his ability to impact the ball, guard the perimeter, protect the rim, finish at the rim… That's the Clax that we always count on, and he’s been huge for what we've been doing.”
After battling back and hamstring injuries early in the season, Claxton has begun to resemble the player that drew Defensive Player of the Year hype in recent years. His newfound health and added reps in an altered defensive scheme have him feeling like his old self.
"Just staying resilient through everything. Through injuries, through not feeling like myself. And then the support from my teammates, from the coaches, just continuing to rock with me, having the confidence, instilling the confidence in me every single day. It’s just coming together for me and also for the team,” Claxton said of his recent play. “I’m getting there. I’m just grinding the season out, and then I’ll have a real good summer. I wasn’t able to work out much [last summer while battling injuries], but I’m getting there. I’m feeling good. I’m doing what I need to do for the team."
Cam Johnson continued to provide a steady veteran presence, scoring a team-high 23 points. However, with Russell sidelined, Trendon Watford led Brooklyn’s offense down the stretch. The LSU product continued a hot streak since returning from a hamstring injury, posting 16 points and six assists on 7-of-13 shooting in 24 minutes off the bench.
Watford has continued a transition to a point-forward role after playing small-ball center during his first two NBA seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. With Russell sidelined and Ben Simmons no longer on the roster, he’s making the most of his opportunity.
“It’s sad to see D’Lo go down. But I think it’s next man up,” Watford said. “I’m having fun. I think it all started — I mean, y’all saw it last year, just being able to play on-ball and do different things and use my skillset to the best of my ability. Starting this year off with some injuries and now being able to pick it back up, man, it’s fun. I’m just having fun playing with the guys. So I’m just glad. We put in a lot of work man. I put in a lot of work. And now it’s just good to see it paying off.”
Watford has averaged 11.4 points and 2.9 assists while posting a team-best +8.3 Box Plus-Minus over the Nets’ last eight games. Brooklyn is 12-8 in games he’s played and 9-27 in games he’s missed.
At 6-foot-8 with natural ball-handling ability and a soft touch around the rim, he’s provided shot creation that has been difficult to find elsewhere on the roster.
“He helps you win. And he does that because he’s able to score, but also able to handle and play-make. He can play four positions, post-up, and make threes. So all those things are super valuable at his size and position. He’s another guy that I’m very happy with,” Fernandez said. “You can say in those 20 games, we have been really good with him on the court.”
The Nets appeared to be all-in on a tank following a 2-15 stretch in January that had brought them within two games of top-three lottery odds. However, their recent success has pulled them within a half-game of the Chicago Bulls for the Eastern Conference’s final play-in spot.
Saturday’s win over the 76ers is another step toward an improbable postseason birth.
"We understand what's at stake here. A lot of the joy in the locker room comes from winning and just trying to outdo expectations. I think that's a big chip on our shoulders, a big source of pride for us. And we're gonna continue to compete,” Johnson said. “It's multi-layered. The better we do as a team, the more we succeed, the better each individual player looks, it's better for everyone's careers. So to find something [like the play-in race] to add that competitive edge, to play for, to compete for, compete for each other, our coaching staff, it just adds that joy.
And I think it's kinda evident if you watch the game, that joy that we're playing with. How we support each other and pick each other up when we're down. We're far from a finished product, and we're really at the beginning stages of figuring it all out, but at least we're playing with that passion that we need to have."
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