Celtics Outlast Nets In Double Overtime Thriller At Barclays

The Barclays Center was buzzing on January 23, 2026, as the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics delivered a double-overtime thriller that left fans on the edge of their seats. In front of a sellout crowd of 17,727, both teams battled fiercely, but it was the Celtics who eked out a 130-126 victory, capitalizing on late-game errors by a Nets squad desperate to redeem itself after one of the most lopsided defeats in franchise history.

Coming into the night, the Nets were still licking their wounds from a 120-66 drubbing at the hands of the New York Knicks—a loss so severe it ranked as the second-largest margin of defeat in team history. Head coach Jordi Fernández didn’t mince words in the aftermath, challenging his players to show more grit and determination. "We’re up five, they throw a cross-court pass and you have a chance to foul…and then probably make one (and) it’s over. We didn’t do it and they made the 3. Then the other one is we’re around the 3-point line, there’s a miscommunication and they get a wide-open shot," Fernández lamented after the game, reflecting on the late-game collapse that allowed Boston to force a second overtime.

The Nets, now 12-31 and mired in a stretch where they've dropped 12 of their last 14, looked like a different team for much of the night. Brooklyn led by as many as 11 points and held a five-point advantage with just five seconds left in the first overtime. But mental lapses and defensive breakdowns proved costly. With the game seemingly in hand, the Nets failed to intentionally foul, allowing Payton Pritchard—who poured in a game-high 32 points—to bury a clutch three-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining. Then, after rookie Nolan Traore split a pair of free throws, a miscommunication on defense left Hugo Gonzalez wide open in the corner. Gonzalez’s shot splashed through with just four-tenths of a second left, sending the crowd into a frenzy and the game into a second overtime.

Nic Claxton, who finished with 18 points and nine rebounds, was left searching for answers after the game. "He was just wide open. He was wide open. He hit the shot," Claxton said, still in disbelief. "I’m confused. I got to watch it. I’m confused. I don’t know how it got so open. That’s in the corner. I don’t know. I don’t know. I can’t give you an answer for that." The defensive breakdown stemmed from a mix-up between Michael Porter Jr. and Noah Clowney, with Porter later admitting, "Obviously, it was poorly executed. I tried to pass the guy through to Noah on that side, and we just weren’t all on the same page. Coach Jordi was trying to communicate on the sideline, it was just such crunch time, we didn’t know we were still zoning up, or if we were in man…We were just discombobulated. We got to learn from it, hopefully do better in the next situation."

Porter Jr. led the Nets with 30 points and eight rebounds, showing both offensive prowess and leadership, even as the team’s communication faltered in crunch time. Rookie Nolan Traore was a bright spot, scoring 21 points in 36 minutes and 51 seconds, earning crucial late-game minutes for his ability to attack the paint. Ziaire Williams chipped in 14 points and eight rebounds, providing feisty defense and energy on both ends of the floor.

On the Celtics’ side, Pritchard’s heroics were complemented by Jaylen Brown, who delivered a well-rounded performance with 27 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds. Boston’s unselfish play was evident in their 35 assists—outpacing Brooklyn’s 22—and their ability to force 18 turnovers while committing just nine themselves. The Celtics may have lost the rebounding battle 58-41, especially after both Neemias Queta and Luka Garza fouled out in regulation, but their efficiency from deep (43% on three-pointers to Brooklyn’s 30%) and timely shot-making made all the difference.

Hugo Gonzalez’s clutch shooting in overtime was a dagger for Brooklyn, and his celebration with teammates Baylor Scheierman and Pritchard was a defining image of the night. The Celtics’ bench and supporting cast stepped up in key moments, with Baylor Scheierman and Anfernee Simons providing defensive pressure and playmaking. Amari Williams’s energy was palpable as he celebrated with teammates after the final buzzer, capping off a gritty win for a Boston squad that had to dig deep against a Nets team playing with renewed urgency.

The Nets’ struggles from beyond the arc—hitting just 30% of their three-point attempts—stood in stark contrast to Boston’s hot shooting. Despite their dominance on the boards and a determined effort from their young core, Brooklyn’s inability to close out the game and their late-game execution woes proved to be their undoing. The loss keeps the Nets fifth in the lottery race, 1.5 games behind Sacramento and two ahead of Utah, while sitting 2.5 games behind Indiana for a coveted top-three spot in the draft order.

For the Celtics, the win marks a 1-1 tie in their last two head-to-head matchups with Brooklyn and serves as a reminder that even the league’s top teams can’t afford to take any opponent lightly. Boston’s depth was tested with two key big men fouling out, but their ball movement, perimeter shooting, and clutch performances carried them through two grueling extra periods.

As the Nets look to regroup, the lessons from this game are clear: communication and composure are non-negotiable in the NBA, especially against elite competition. Coach Fernández’s postgame comments echoed the sentiment that the margin for error is razor-thin. "We made a couple mistakes, and those mistakes in this league against a very good team makes you pay."

Brooklyn’s young players will have to grow from this experience, finding ways to turn heartbreak into resilience. The Celtics, meanwhile, continue their push up the standings, buoyed by the confidence that comes from surviving a true test on the road. The Barclays Center may have witnessed heartbreak for the home fans, but it was also a showcase of grit, drama, and the unpredictable magic that only NBA double-overtime basketball can deliver.

With the season entering a critical stretch and both teams eyeing different goals—Boston aiming for playoff seeding, Brooklyn for player development and lottery positioning—the aftershocks of this epic clash are sure to be felt in the weeks ahead.