Nic Claxton was in good spirits after the Brooklyn Nets beat the Boston Celtics 113-105 at TD Garden in the NBA Cup on Friday, but he was a little bit upset in the opening stages of the game. Claxton went up for a rebound in the first quarter, but Michael Porter Jr. managed to grab the ball, much to his dismay.
“I got it,” Claxton screamed. “I got it. God damn! God damn Mike!”
“I GOT IT! I GOT IT! GODAMN! GODAMN MIKE!”
— Nic Claxton really wanted this rebound, but MPJ intervened. 🤣🤣🤣
(via @MrBuckBuckNBA)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) November 22, 2025
That was hilarious. Claxton had gotten off to a great start to this game, having racked up eight points and three rebounds at this stage. The 26-year-old was feeling himself and really wanted that rebound.
Claxton would manage to build on that great start as he ended up recording the first triple-double of his NBA career against the Celtics. The big man put up 18 points (7-13 FG), 11 rebounds, 12 assists, one steal, and one block in the win. You can imagine how upset he would have been about this play if he had missed out on the triple-double by one rebound.
While Claxton shone, the night would prove to be all about Porter. The 27-year-old had 33 points (13-21 FG), eight rebounds, and two assists on the night.
Porter scored 16 points in the fourth quarter to ensure that the Nets, who had led by as many as 18 points, thwarted the Celtics’ comeback attempt and picked up their second win in three games. They also stayed alive in the cup, as a loss would have meant elimination.
The Nets had started the season 1-11, but are showing some signs of life now. They have improved to 3-12, and Porter deserves much of the credit for it. He had 34 points in the 129-106 win over the Washington Wizards on Sunday, and is putting up some big numbers as the first option.
Porter is now averaging 24.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game in 2025-26, while shooting 48.6% from the field. Trae Young had predicted he’d average more than 25 points a game with the Nets, and that’s looking likely at this point.
As for the Celtics, this was a brutal loss. They were on a three-game winning streak entering this game and had beaten the Nets 113-99 at the Barclays Center on Tuesday. They have now dropped to 8-8 on the season and 1-2 in the cup.
The Celtics take on the Orlando Magic next at TD Garden on Sunday at 6 PM ET. The Nets, meanwhile, will be up against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday at 6 PM ET.
