James Harden and Patty Mills delivered season-best performances to keep the Brooklyn Nets ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day, but Nicolas Claxton delivered the perfect exclamation point in the final minute of a 122-115 win on the road.
The Lakers closed a huge Brooklyn lead with a 31-8 run to tie the game at 115-115 with 45 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, but Claxton seized all the momentum back for Brooklyn with a stunning finish on an alley-oop from James Harden. LeBron James elevated to contest the catch, but Claxton caught the ball and threw it in over James, drawing the foul in the process.
NBA Twitter couldn’t believe it: