Nick Claxton watched from the locker room during the final eight minutes of the Nets' 120-116 loss to the Hawks in the season opener.
The Brooklyn big man was ejected in the fourth quarter after being called for a Fragrant 2 foul for clotheslining Dyson Daniels for a layup.
The incident occurred shortly after the Nets turned the ball over, the Hawks made a reverse transition, and the ball ended up in Daniels' hands.
Claxton made no appearance to retrieve the ball and brushed off Atlanta's guards with his arm as he headed for the basket.
The Nets big man's arm appeared to make contact with Daniels' upper body, forcing his head back from the force and knocking Daniels to the floor.
He quickly got to his feet and charged Claxton past the foul.
Daniels attacked Claxton in the face and the two exchanged words in the stands until teammates and security broke them up.
No punches were thrown during this incident.
The referee reviewed the play and determined whether the foul was Flagrant 1 or Flagrant 2, ultimately deciding it was the latter.
According to the league, flagrant II refers to “unnecessary and excessive contact made by a player toward an opponent.”
Claxton's play certainly seemed to fit the definition, resulting in his early exit from the contest.
At the time of the altercation, the Nets were trailing the Hawks, 93-89, with 8:03 remaining.
There were some questions about whether Claxton would play in the opener, but the 25-year-old appeared to silence those questions earlier this week.
Claxton was moved around multiple times during the offseason and is now the longest-tenured member of the organization, and was expected to take on a more leadership role this season.
