Nic Claxton was in no mood to forgive Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokoumpo despite the Brooklyn Nets’ 118-100 win.
The center had a good outing notching up 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. Kevin Durant led the way with 24 points. Also chipping in were Kyrie Irving (18 points) and Royce O’Neal (17 points). Ben Simmons had a dozen points to show for as well.
The all-around effort meant the Nets pulled off a solid win against the second-placed Bucks unit. However, Claxton called out Antetokounmpo’s play by posting a story on Instagram and adding a question along with it.
I’m dying at Nic Claxton posting this on IG, need that Bucks vs Nets playoffs series again https://t.co/gX52sywkMF
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) December 24, 2022
“Is This Basketball?”
The clip sees Antetokounmpo barrel through the Nets unit and run straight into Claxton. The former missed the shot and hit the floor, taking the center down with him. This didn’t please the Nets star, who later took his shot on Instagram. The duo even had an altercation later on.
Nic Claxton just bumped Giannis on his way back to the bench — Giannis was not happy about it. He walked with Claxton back towards the Brooklyn bench after that time out was called and had a few words.
That is not the guy to upset.
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) December 24, 2022
Nic Claxton just bumped Giannis on his way back to the bench — Giannis was not happy about it. He walked with Claxton back towards the Brooklyn bench after that time out was called and had a few words. That is not the guy to upset.
Safe to say, the Claxton-Antetokounmpo rivalry will be one to watch out for when the two teams face off in the months to come.
Nic Claxton Had Claimed He Was One Of The Best Defenders In The League
Earlier, Claxton had boldly declared that he was one of the best defenders in the NBA. The big man was supremely confident about his claim and even added that he should be in the DPOY chatter.
Speaking to the media, Claxton, who has been a significant contributor to Brooklyn this season, averaging 11.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks felt he was doing all that was expected from him.
“Honestly, I feel like I’m one of the best defenders in the league. I feel like I should be in the talk for Defensive Player of the Year. I feel like I haven’t been getting the respect I deserve,” he said postgame. “We’ve been winning, my numbers are good. I’ve been protecting the rim, guarding one through five. So it’s just me being me, doing what I do, bringing that energy. And it’s great for the team.”
There’s no denying that he’s playing his part in the Nets’ meteoric rise. They are now fourth in the East with a 21-12 run. Their stars Durant and Irving, have been on a tear and are well on their way to securing a playoff berth. The Nets play the Cleveland Cavaliers next.
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