PHILADELPHIA — Nets heart Nic Claxton’s putback layup simply beat the buzzer — and beat the 76ers, 105-103, on Saturday night time.
Claxton deposited a Keon Johnson missed 3-pointer, an acrobatic shot that simply beat the clock earlier than he was mobbed by Ziaire Williams, Trendon Watford and the remainder of the Nets.
It was a come-from-behind victory that lots of their followers will name Pyrrhic.
The tanking Nets (21-35) had been in a flat-footed tie with the Sixers for the sixth-best odds within the lottery. Now, they’ve fallen to seventh and are simply ¹/₂-game forward of Chicago within the race to the underside.
Cam Johnson had a team-high 23 factors, and Claxton added 16 factors, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks.
The Nets had led by as many as 17, solely to path with 1:48 left.
Philadelphia began its Massive Three — Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George — for simply the fifteenth time. However the Nets, regardless of not having D’Angelo Russell or Cam Thomas, survived Tyrese Maxey’s 31 and gutted out the victory.
The Nets hit their first eight pictures from the ground, Johnson’s three free throws staking them to a 23-15 lead.
Embiid regarded hobbled, and with the Sixers taking part in drop protection and doing it passively, the Nets bought no matter appears they needed.
And so they made them.
The Nets led 40-30 after a primary quarter that noticed them hit 15 of 20, their greatest capturing quarter of the season.
A group that had struggled mightily on offense just lately raced out to a 60-43 lead as boos and bile rained down at Wells Fargo Middle.
Embiid appeared to favor his knee on a couple of event. The Nets, working their offensive units immaculately, bought inside at will.
Proudly owning a 63-52 edge on the half, the Nets went up 71-54 when Claxton took benefit of the clearly hobbled Embiid inside for a layup.
The Nets conceded a 14-4 run, seeing the Sixers pull inside 75-68 on an Embiid jumper with 3:42 left within the third.
The fourth quarter began with Embiid on the bench with a wrap on his foot.
George minimize the Nets’ result in 5, after which Maxey discovered Kelly Oubre Jr. for a dunk that minimize it to 89-86 with 7:19 left.
Claxton misplaced the ball attempting to dribble between two defenders, however the protection held. And Watford drove for an and-one.
It was nonetheless a six-point lead when George scored.
After a Watford turnover, Keon Johnson dedicated goaltending on a Maxey try to see the lead minimize to 94-92.
That lead was gone altogether moments later when Maxey discovered Quentin Grimes for a go-ahead 3-pointer. The Nets trailed 95-94 with 4:11 to play. Oubre’s comply with dunk off Maxey’s miss made it 97-94.
The Nets retook the lead 102-100 when Watford discovered Keon Johnson for a 3-pointer with 1:49 remaining.
Claxton added a free throw with 1:04 left, however Maxey knotted it once more with a 3-pointer. However Claxton ended up with the winner.
