Nic Claxton’s defense helps Nets slow down Giannis Antetokounmpo

Nic Claxton whitethorn not beryllium backmost to starting, aliases moreover to afloat velocity yet, but he was bully capable Sunday to thief slow Giannis Antetokounmpo and manus nan Nets their first win. 

“Nic said it aft nan Orlando game, I gotta beryllium better. And [Sunday] he played for illustration we want him to play, for illustration 1 of nan champion protect players successful nan NBA … aliases nan best,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “That’s what I’m gonna situation him to do, is person precocious standards, because we person precocious expectations from you. “And he brought that, besides that activity that we need, being nan anchor of nan defense, communicating astatine each times, and very happy to spot Nic performing for illustration that.”

Claxton came disconnected nan chair for a 3rd consecutive crippled aft a hamstring wounded sidelined nan large man for nan full preseason.

Nic Claxton defends Giannis Antetokounmpo during nan Nets’ triumph complete nan Bucks connected Oct. 27, 2024. Corey Sipkin for nan NY POST

But he had a double-double (10 points, 11 boards, 2 blocks successful 22 minutes of playing time). And he platooned pinch Ben Simmons to support Antetokounmpo from wrecking nan crippled scheme arsenic he truthful often does.

The erstwhile MVP has utterly dominated nan Nets successful nan past, his second-highest profession mean against immoderate squad coming against Brooklyn.

Antetokounmpo averaged 29.7 points against nan Nets past season, and 34.0 against them nan twelvemonth prior. But they held him to 22 points connected Sunday, conscionable 8 successful nan first half. 

“It’s connected each 5 guys against a feline for illustration Giannis. It’s connected everybody to beryllium connected nan aforesaid page to each load up. It’s not conscionable connected maine aliases Ben aliases whoever is guarding him,” Claxton said. “I didn’t consciousness for illustration I was retired location by myself. Everybody, nan full defense, we had a awesome crippled scheme from nan coaches and we did a awesome occupation executing.”

After logging conscionable 15:25 disconnected nan chair successful nan opener that he was ejected from and seeing that raised to 20:26 connected Friday successful Orlando, Claxton had his playing clip raised again.

But he still isn’t 100 percent.

“I’m still uncovering [my rhythm]. I’m still uncovering it,” Claxton said. “It’s gonna return immoderate time. But I felt amended coming being retired location conscionable helping retired trying to conscionable make thing affirmative hap connected each azygous possession. And I did that.”

Nic Claxton defends Giannis Antetokounmpo during nan Nets’ triumph complete nan Bucks connected Oct. 27, 2024. Corey Sipkin for nan NY POST

Cam Thomas had 32 points, 25 successful nan 2nd half. 

His 99 points done 3 games tied Kevin Durant for second-most done 3 games to commencement a Nets season. Kyrie Irving has nan grounds pinch 113 successful 2019-20. 

Bojan Bogdanovic (left ft recovery), Day’Ron Sharpe (left hamstring) and Trendon Watford (left hamstring) were each out. 

The Nets person seen their valuation jump to $4.8 cardinal according to nan latest Forbes analysis, moving them into eighth-highest successful nan NBA retired of 30. 

That valuation is up 25 percent from a twelvemonth ago, tied pinch nan Bucks and Grizzlies for nan second-biggest summation successful nan league.

The Celtics had nan biggest jump astatine 28 percent.

Perhaps astir notably, aft losing money for years, Forbes estimated they made $43 cardinal successful operating income successful 2022-23 connected wide gross of $381 million.