Nic Claxton’s defense helps Nets slow down Giannis…
Nic Claxton is probably not back to beginning, and even to full velocity but, however he was good enough Sunday to help slow Giannis Antetokounmpo and hand the Nets their first win.
“Nic said it after the Orlando game, I gotta be better. And [Sunday] he played like we want him to play, like one of the best defensive players in the NBA … or the best,” coach Jordi Fernandez mentioned. “That’s what I’m gonna challenge him to do, is have high standards, because we have high expectations from you. “And he brought that, also that leadership that we need, being the anchor of the defense, communicating at all times, and very happy to see Nic performing like that.”
Claxton got here off the bench for a third straight recreation after a hamstring harm sidelined the massive man for your entire preseason.
Nic Claxton defends Giannis Antetokounmpo during the Nets’ win over the Bucks on Oct. 27, 2024. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
But he had a double-double (10 factors, 11 boards, two blocks in 22 minutes of taking part in time). And he platooned with Ben Simmons to keep Antetokounmpo from wrecking the sport plan as he so usually does.
The former MVP has totally dominated the Nets previously, his second-highest profession average towards any group coming towards Brooklyn.
Antetokounmpo averaged 29.7 factors towards the Nets final season, and 34.0 towards them the 12 months prior. But they held him to 22 factors on Sunday, simply eight within the first half.
“It’s on all five guys against a guy like Giannis. It’s on everybody to be on the same page to all load up. It’s not just on me or Ben or whoever is guarding him,” Claxton mentioned. “I didn’t feel like I was out there by myself. Everybody, the whole defense, we had a great game plan from the coaches and we did a great job executing.”
After logging simply 15:25 off the bench within the opener that he was ejected from and seeing that raised to twenty:26 on Friday in Orlando, Claxton had his taking part in time raised again.
But he nonetheless isn’t one hundred pc.
“I’m still finding [my rhythm]. I’m still finding it,” Claxton mentioned. “It’s gonna take some time. But I felt better today being out there just helping out trying to just make something positive happen on every single possession. And I did that.”
Nic Claxton defends Giannis Antetokounmpo during the Nets’ win over the Bucks on Oct. 27, 2024. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Cam Thomas had 32 factors, 25 within the second half.
His 99 factors by three video games tied Kevin Durant for second-most by three video games to start out a Nets season. Kyrie Irving has the file with 113 in 2019-20.
Bojan Bogdanovic (left foot restoration), Day’Ron Sharpe (left hamstring) and Trendon Watford (left hamstring) have been all out.
The Nets have seen their valuation soar to $4.8 billion in response to the most recent Forbes evaluation, shifting them into eighth-highest within the NBA out of 30.
That valuation is up 25 p.c from a 12 months in the past, tied with the Bucks and Grizzlies for the second-biggest increase within the league.
The Celtics had the largest soar at 28 p.c.
Perhaps most notably, after shedding money for years, Forbes estimated they made $43 million in working income in 2022-23 on total income of $381 million.
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