Nic Claxton’s 1st career game-winning buzzer-beater secured Brooklyn's 7th win in 9 games.
A reminder on The Horry Scale: It breaks down a game-winning buzzer-beater (GWBB) in the categories of difficulty, game situation (was the team tied or behind at the time?), importance (playoff game or garden-variety night in November?) and celebration. Then we give it an overall grade on a scale of 1-5 Robert Horrys, named for the patron saint of last-second answered prayers.
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Who was that masked man?
That’s what Philadelphia 76ers fans were thinking after Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton floated in a putback game-winner as time expired just moments after Tyrese Maxey knocked down a game-tying 3-pointer.
Instead of overtime and a chance to end their six-game losing streak, the Sixers dropped to a season-worst 16 games below .500 with the 105-103 loss at home. Meanwhile, the Nets improved to 21-35 and are now in sole possession of 11th place in the East — just a half game behind the current Play-In Tournament teams.
GAME SITUATION: Down 17 points early in the third quarter, the 76ers fought back and tied the game on Maxey’s 26-footer with 23 seconds remaining. The Nets chose not to call a timeout and settled for an errant Keon Johnson 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left. Claxton skied over Paul George for the rebound and then …
DIFFICULTY: To say Claxton was in the right place at the right time doesn’t do him justice. He was dominating the paint all night. Claxton tracked Johnson’s miss from the opposite side of the baseline, maneuvered around Guerschon Yabusele, grabbed the ball over George’s extended hand and released it with 0.2 on the clock.
CELEBRATION: As a hush fell over the crowd at Wells Fargo Center, Claxton casually walked to corner of the court before his teammates arrived for the party. Claxton, who finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and five blocks, didn’t get a chance to take off his protective mask until the mob scene subsided.
late night find pic.twitter.com/RaihL8htTS
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) February 23, 2025
GRADE: The Nets’ first game-winning buzzer-beater since Kyrie Irving stunned the Raptors in 2022 was Brooklyn’s seventh win in nine games. They also moved ahead of Philadelphia in the Play-In race. Perhaps we’ll look back at this moment as the point at which the Nets’ postseason push took off. Three Horrys.
