On the back of Nolan Traore, the Long Island Nets were able to get back on the winning track Saturday after three losses as Traore had a shining performance, giving Long Island the 128-113 victory and a 2-3 record.

Claxton recorded his first career triple-double (18 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds) in the Nets’ first big win over a good team this season, while simultaneously avoiding elimination in the NBA Cup. To make it even sweeter, Claxton won the game ball in front of his parents, including his dad, Charles, who played for the Celtics.

Asked what his immediate thoughts were following the loss to the Nets, it was clear that the Georgia native was perturbed by how his teammates played in the game. "What's my initial takeaway?" asked Brown in response to the query via CLNS Media. "Come ready to play or don't come at all."

Expert recap and game analysis of the Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics NBA game from November 21, 2025 on ESPN.

The Celtics promised they would play hard all season, but that wasn't the case in a listless loss Friday to the Nets.

Michael Porter Jr. finished with 33 points on 13-of-21 shooting, eight rebounds, and two assists, showing he might just be ready to take his game to the next level.

The Brooklyn Nets (2-12) and Boston Celtics (8-7) meet in NBA Cup group play for the second game of a 2-game set Friday at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's NBA odds around the Nets vs. Celtics odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.

The Celtics had won three straight games to move to above .500 for the first time before this defeat dropped them back to 8-8. They allowed Brooklyn’s Michael Porter Jr. to score 33 points on 13-for-21 shooting, while Nic Claxton recorded a triple-double with 18 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds.

Bleacher Report's Andrew Peters recently listed potential trade suitors for Ball, and the Brooklyn Nets appeared as the first team on the list. While the Nets are in a rebuild of their own, they have the assets to go after the 6-foot-7 point guard and speed the timeline up a bit.