The NBA fined Nic Claxton $25,000 for throwing the ball into the stands within the Nets’ 101-94 defeat of the Toronto Raptors on Thursday at Scotiabank Enviornment.
With 8:46 left within the second quarter, Claxton, 25, was driving to the rim in transition when he was deliberately fouled by Kelly Olynyk close to the highest of the important thing. The middle, nonetheless pissed off a couple of no-call on his missed shot the prior possession, then flipped the ball into the stands.
The NBA doesn’t enable gamers to toss balls into the stands, so Claxton was assessed a technical foul and promptly ejected. He left the sport with seven factors, 5 rebounds and one block in 11 minutes. It was his third ejection in 27 appearances this season.
“He knows he has to be better. Especially this one,” head coach Jordi Fernandez mentioned. “You can control your frustrations. That’s no reason to do that. I understand that we all have emotions, but the team needs him. His teammates need him. And he knows it.”
Claxton practically threw a seat cushion leaving the courtroom, however Nets assistant coach Juwan Howard was there to examine Claxton and save him from additional self-discipline.
“I just had a mental lapse, and I just launched the ball in the crowd. And I can’t let my emotions get to that point. I got to be there for my team,” Claxton mentioned.
Brooklyn nonetheless dominated the glass 53-34 regardless of not having Claxton for many of the night time. Second-year ahead Noah Clowney stepped up off the bench, as he knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and completed with 11 factors and 9 rebounds in 37 minutes.
Veteran ahead Cam Johnson, persevering with to extend his commerce worth throughout the league, added a game-high 33 factors and a season-high 10 rebounds. Fifteen of his factors got here within the fourth quarter.
“Just really trying to win the game is really what it comes down to,” Johnson mentioned. “We didn’t have a good feeling after that Cleveland game, so we wanted to make sure we came out here and got a dub. To get a win like this [is big].”
Fernandez was additionally impressed with Johnson’s versatility within the win, as he additionally recorded six assists and two blocks.
“He creates a lot of attention because he moves, and teams have to guard him that way,” Fernandez mentioned. “You get other guys open just because of his ability to get himself open and move around. So, his performance, it’s a great line.”
