After a 1-5 road trip Tuesday morning, Nick Claxton said this season has been “frustrating” due to the number of losses and injuries the Nets have endured.
He also admitted that he hasn't been at his best this season due to a new defensive scheme under first-year coach Jordi Fernandes.
“Honestly, I don't think we've seen it yet,” he said before the Nets' 99-95 loss to the Knicks at Barclays Center. “I'm still growing a lot. It's been a frustrating year with injuries and losses. It's been frustrating at times, but I'm still trying to get to that point.”
And in the first of Homestead's four games, Claxton was given a tough test by Karl-Anthony Towns.
“He's big. Size, skill, he can shoot a quick trigger. He can score on all three levels,” Claxton said after the loss.
The four-time All-Star center finished with 25 points on 11-of-19 shooting and 16 rebounds. Claxton grabbed 12 rebounds, but the Knicks outscored the Nets 56-38 inside.
Still, Claxton felt he did the best job possible.
“In the first half he was comfortable. In the second half, he felt a little uncomfortable. He still had a good game,” Claxton said. “He was still putting up numbers, but I was able to influence him a little bit.”
In a close game in the final quarter, Claxton forced Towns' missed layup to give the Knicks an 87-85 lead with nearly five minutes left. Claxton then bounced back on a missed second chance by OG Anunoby and took an 88-87 lead on Keon Johnson's 3-pointer.
“I liked his energy. He was vocal. He was active the whole game, and that's the kind of Nick Claxton I want,” Fernandez said. “And if he continues to do that like he's been doing, he's going to help us win. The good thing is he has high standards for himself and I think I love that.”
Claxton also had eight points and two steals, but he also had help from Dayron Sharpe against Towns. Sharpe played just 14 minutes but had 10 points, three rebounds and two blocked shots. He was also a plus-15.
“Give them credit, we were right there. We were in position to win the game,” Claxton said. “So that's all we can ask of you. We just have to finish it. … We really wanted to beat them. We haven't won in about two or three years. We just have to keep going.”
