Nic Claxton recorded his first NBA triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists as the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Boston Celtics 113-105 on Friday at TD Garden. Michael Porter Jr. added 33 points, and Noah Clowney contributed 19, helping Brooklyn snap a nine-game losing streak against Boston.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 26 points but was limited to 32 minutes due to foul trouble, picking up his fifth foul with 5:52 remaining in the third quarter. Boston trailed 71-68 at that point before Brooklyn went on a decisive 17-4 run to push the lead to 92-77 entering the fourth quarter.
Claxton orchestrated the Nets’ offense while also protecting the paint, finishing with two blocks and one steal in 35 minutes. Porter Jr. scored 13-of-21 from the field and added four three-pointers, providing consistent scoring alongside Clowney’s 7-of-15 shooting performance.
The Celtics struggled to keep pace despite Neemias Queta’s 16 points and 12 rebounds. Boston shot 47% overall, connecting on 11-of-34 three-pointers, and committed 13 turnovers that allowed Brooklyn to capitalize in transition.
Brooklyn led by as many as 15 in the fourth quarter, and despite a late push from Boston, the Nets maintained control to secure their first NBA Cup victory and improve to 3-12 overall and 1-2 in tournament play.
The Celtics fell to 8-8 overall and 1-2 in the tournament, with Brown’s absence during the run proving pivotal. Boston will host Orlando on Sunday, while Brooklyn heads to Toronto on Sunday night seeking to build on this confidence-boosting win.
