Despite the Nets falling late against the Timberwolves on Thursday, Nic Claxton proved that he can battle with one of the best centers in the league in Rudy Gobert.
Going into the matchup, Brooklyn was lacking in size against Minnesota’s two big centers, the 7-foot-1 Gobert and the 7-foot Karl-Anthony Towns.
Towns (27 points, 10 rebounds) and Gobert (10 points, 13 rebounds) both had double-doubles on the night. Gobert also is the league’s second-best rebounder, averaging 12.5, and is ranked eighth in the NBA in blocks per game (2.1) — two places behind Claxton’s 2.2.
However, the Nets’ fifth-year center held his own with his 6-11, 215-pound frame, tallying 16 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocks against the Minnesota big men, who eventually got the better of him in a 96-94 victory at Barclays Center.
Claxton credited his teammates for helping him make an impact in the game.
“I knew Rudy … he’s gonna go and try to block shots and that left me open and just took advantage of those opportunities,” he said.
“I think I’m a great big man,” Claxton continued when asked how he believes he pairs up with other, bigger centers. “Any time I have a matchup like that, one of the quote unquote top centers in the league, I always take it personal to go out and be the best version of myself. I’m an extremely competitive person. I love basketball and I love to compete so I bring that every single night.”
He will undergo another test Saturday, facing Houston’s third-year center Alperen Sengun, who is having his best season to date, averaging 22.1 points, 5.1 assists and 9.2 rebounds per game while shooting 54.1 percent. In his past five games, he is averaging 25.6 points.
Against the Rockets, the Nets will try to turn their season around as it hits the halfway point, hoping to break a three-game losing streak among a larger struggle, having dropped 12 of their past 15 games.
“No moral victories. Another tough loss. I mean, it’s tough losing all these games, but we just got to stay positive, stay together,” Claxton said. “I know that sounds repetitive. I feel like I keep saying the same thing, but it’s the same story. We haven’t been losing by a lot of points. Tonight, they didn’t score 100 points and we were solid defensively. Just gotta keep trending in the right direction and things will turn in our favor.”
Day’Ron Sharpe (left knee hyperextension), Dariq Whitehead (left shin stress reaction), and Ben Simmons (lower-back nerve impingement) will remain out Saturday against the Rockets.
On Thursday, coach Jacque Vaughn announced that Simmons will play with the G-League Long Island Nets on Saturday and is expected to return as early as next week if no roadblocks occur.