The moment Nick Claxton tossed the ball into the stands, he knew he was going to be ejected from the game.
“I have seen [Kevin Durant] I threw a ball into the stands a few years ago and got ejected,” Claxton recalled. “So I thought once things calmed down a bit, they would kick me out, you know.”
Claxton was ejected with 8 minutes, 46 seconds left in the first half of the Nets' game against Toronto on Thursday.
Claxton casually flicked the ball into the crowd during a fast break when Raptors big man Kelly Olynyk committed a taking foul.
Referee Ben Taylor immediately sent off Claxton.
The throw was clearly not malicious, but the NBA has a zero-tolerance policy against throwing objects into the stands.
Claxton picked up the seat cushion and appeared ready to throw it, but was quickly stopped by Brooklyn assistant coach Juwan Howard.
“I mentally blacked out and sent the ball flying into the crowd,” Claxton said. “And I can't let my emotions get that high. I have to be there for the team.”
Claxton, who signed a four-year, $97 million contract extension, has been ejected three times in just 21 games this season.
With Claxton out, Noah Clowney had 11 points and nine rebounds in 37 minutes.
Both boards and minutes were season highs.
“His development defensively, his physicality, obviously his development in multiple areas, he's one of our best players in terms of developing vertically and charging,” coach Jordi Fernandes said. spoke. “His physicality on the ball guarding a really good player like Scottie Barnes was important, which is why I was happy for him to play those few minutes.
“He's done a great job. He's left it at that. And I love how he played after not having a great performance in Cleveland and being frustrated. And now he's coming in. Masu [back] And he does his job. I'm very happy to see him grow. That's what it's all about. ”
Ben Simmons entered Saturday's game against the Jazz with back-to-back double-digit points for the first time since October 2023.
The NBA announced Friday its second annual World Basketball Day celebrations.
The night before, Fernandes and Toronto's Darko Radjakovic made world basketball history as the first European head coaches to face each other in an NBA regular-season game.
Spain's Fernandes defeated Serbia's Lajakovic 101-94.
“It's very special. We've never had anything like that before. And Darko and I get to represent international basketball, European basketball, Serbian basketball, Spanish basketball. So it's very, very special.” Fernandez said. “But I hope this isn't just this time, and that it's not just the two of us. There will be more as we move forward.”
Bojan Bogdanovic (left foot), De'Anthony Melton (torn ACL), Cam Thomas (left hamstring), Trendon Watford (left hamstring), Ziare Williams (left knee), Darik Whitehead, Jaylen, and others. There was no shock to Brooklyn's injury report. Martin, all the best.
For the Jazz, Collin Sexton (finger) is available, but Isaiah Collier and Keyontae George (left ankle) are questionable. Kyle Filipowski, Taylor Hendricks, David Jones-Garcia, Oscar Tshibwe and Cody Williams are out.
