Inside The Nets

Nets Win Over 76ers Sends Message About Roster Makeup

Brooklyn isn't the team we thought it was going to be season. The Nets are better than people realize.

Jed Katz

Feb 22, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) celebrates with teammates after hitting a game winning shot against the Philadelphia 76ers as time expired in fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Feb 22, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) celebrates with teammates after hitting a game winning shot against the Philadelphia 76ers as time expired in fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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In shocking fashion, the Brooklyn Nets took down the Philadelphia 76ers last night 105-103 on a game-winning shot from Nic Claxton. On the road, the Nets came up with a huge win to move themselves up to the 11th seed, as the 76ers were also a Play-In Tournament contender. Brooklyn is now a half-game back from the 10th-seeded Chicago Bulls.

The Claxton game-winner capped off a major night for the center, who put up 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and five blocks while shooting 7-for-11 from the field. Brooklyn also played exceptional defense on Philadelphia, holding them to 42.4% shooting from the field and 25.6% from three.

The Nets have consistently been one of, if not the best defensive team in the NBA throughout February. Since the start of the month, they're tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best defensive rating in the league (106.3), and have allowed an average of just 99.8 points across eight games, good for first among all 30 teams.

Last night's win, along with the Nets' other wins this month, shows that this team is better than we thought. Brooklyn is closer to last season's team that finished 32-50, just missing the Play-In Tournament as the 11th seed. This year, the Nets hold a similar position once again with 26 games left in the regular season.

Brooklyn is still led by a mix of veterans and young talent after a quiet trade deadline. Even after trading Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith, older players such as Cam Johnson and D'Angelo Russell remain on the roster.

The young core is still well intact, led by Cam Thomas, Jalen Wilson, Noah Clowney, and more. That group is expected to grow with the Nets' haul of draft picks over the next few years.

The Nets were expected to be one of the worst teams in the league under first-year head coach Jordi Fernandez. Today, they find themselves with a better record than six teams and are a legitimate contender to play basketball past the regular season. For better or worse, Brooklyn is better than most thought, and the team is winning games with elite defense.

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Jed Katz
JED KATZ

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