Nets' Nic Claxton jokingly suggests need for therapist after latest ejection

10/24/2024 01:41 PM

Nic Claxton wasn’t available for the Brooklyn Nets down the stretch of Wednesday’s 120-116 season-opener loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The sixth-year center was ejected early in the fourth quarter after clotheslining Dyson Daniels on a fastbreak layup.

"Yeah, I gave up an and-one a couple possessions earlier, and then it was just a little bit too much on the flagrant,” Claxton admitted.

Daniels went after Claxton following the foul, which the officiating crew quickly deemed a flagrant two.

“There was unnecessary and excessive contact by Claxton. There is wind-up, hard impact and follow through to a vulnerable air-born player and also a potential for injury,” Crew chief David Guthrie said in the referee pool report. “This also led to an altercation as well, so per rule, this meets the criteria for a Flagrant 2 and ejection."

Dyson Daniels took a hard foul from Nic Claxton and Daniels got up in his face

It is currently under review for a potential flagrant foul.pic.twitter.com/TmWHJ6qR9B

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 24, 2024

Brooklyn trailed by four when the foul occurred. The sequence turned the momentum in Atlanta’s favor, awakening the State Farm Arena Crowd and sparking a 12-3 run from which the Hawks would never look back.

"Yeah, that was clearly a foul. You know, we don’t want to see anybody getting hurt,” said Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez. “I’m pretty sure he didn’t mean to. But yeah, our technique has to be better. Our purpose, like I said, lead with your chest and show your hands. But again, the league does a great job with judgment and training their officials, and they will do so because it needs to be done for a game like today, for sure."

Nic Claxton hopes to learn from latest ejection

This isn’t the first time Claxton, who the Nets just signed to a four-year, $97 million contract, has cost his team by losing his composure late in a close game. The 25-year-old was ejected during the fourth quarter of a playoff game against the Philadelphia 76ers in 2022. He had two more ejections last season and tallied 10 technicals.

It’s a habit he’ll need to kick if he hopes to be a building block for Brooklyn moving forward.

"It’s just having more situational awareness,” Claxton said of his ejections. “Maybe I need to talk to a therapist or something. Whatever I do, I can't get kicked out of games. I need to be there for my team."

Asked Nic Claxton about controlling his emotions after another late-game ejection:
 
"Just having more situational awareness. Maybe I need to talk to a therapist or something. Whatever I do, I can't get kicked out of games. I need to be there for my team." pic.twitter.com/AbbfC8BFSu

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) October 24, 2024

Claxton was on a minutes restriction Wednesday after returning from a hamstring injury. He posted seven points, five rebounds, one steal and one block in 15 minutes.

The Nets have high hopes for the former second-round pick, who has been among general manager Sean Marks’ top success stories. Claxton emerged as one of the NBA’s top defensive centers over the last two seasons. Fernandez has voiced optimism in the center’s ability to make an offensive leap this year in an expanded role.

The post Nets’ Nic Claxton jokingly suggests need for therapist after latest ejection appeared first on ClutchPoints.