The Brooklyn Nets just suffered one of the worst defeats in NBA history, falling to the LA Clippers 126-67 in what looks like a clear tank job for top prospect Cooper Flagg.
This wasn’t just any loss – it was a 59-point demolition that ranks as the eighth-biggest blowout in NBA history.
The game started normally enough. The Nets hung around in the first quarter, but things got weird when they benched starting center Nic Claxton for most of the game in favor of undrafted player Tosan Evbuomwan.
It got ugly fast after that.
With about 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Brooklyn was down by a staggering 64 points. They were actually on pace to set the all-time record for worst NBA loss before Day’Ron Sharpe scored a few late baskets to make it look slightly less terrible.
For the Clippers, it was a historic night – their biggest win margin ever as a franchise.
“We’ve always fought through the end, cut leads, competed, and I am proud of this group of guys,” Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez said after the game. But his words rang a bit hollow given what fans had just witnessed.
This wasn’t even Brooklyn’s first massive loss this season. They’ve now been blown out by 50+ points twice.
For context on just how bad this was: Only a handful of games in NBA history have ended with bigger margins:
– Memphis beat Oklahoma City by 73 in 2021
– Cleveland crushed Miami by 68 in 1991
– Indiana dominated Portland by 65 in 1997
– The Lakers destroyed Golden State by 63 back in 1971
The Nets’ brutal season has them at 14-27, but they’re actually not even close to the bottom. The Wizards (6-32), Hornets (9-28), and Raptors (10-31) are all doing even worse.
But maybe that’s the point. With generational talent Cooper Flagg headlining a loaded 2025 draft class, finishing last might actually be the best thing that could happen to any of these teams.
