Nets' Nic Claxton Endures Pain to Play With Finger Injury, Coach Credits Him for Grit and Determination.
Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton played through a significant finger injury on Sunday night in Los Angeles as the team suffered a one-sided 126-89 loss to the Clippers. Despite feeling some discomfort, Claxton put up six points and five rebounds over 24 minutes of play.
Coach Jordi Fernández praised Claxton for his toughness and determination, saying "Yeah, I think it's his right hand... He finished [Friday's] game, and then he's willing to be out there. Obviously, we care about his health, and everything is fine." The finger injury was sustained in Friday's loss to the Celtics.
Claxton's grit and willingness to play despite pain were on full display as he grimaced in agony after being raked across the hand by Kawhi Leonard during a blocked shot in the third quarter. However, Claxton remained in the game.
In other news, rookie Nolan Traore was out of Sunday's game with an illness after posting a career-high 21 points on Friday. Meanwhile, Cam Thomas sat out with a sprained left ankle and will be assessed throughout the week. Coach Fernández stated that Thomas would undergo proper treatment to alleviate his soreness before returning to action.
The Nets are scheduled to face off against the Suns in Phoenix on Tuesday, but Devin Booker's right ankle sprain has ruled him out of the game.
Claxton's efforts were not enough to turn the tide in favor of the Nets as they struggled to contain the Clippers' offense. Despite the loss, Claxton's resilience and commitment to his team earned praise from Coach Fernández, who acknowledged the center's toughness and determination despite playing through pain.
Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton played through a significant finger injury on Sunday night in Los Angeles as the team suffered a one-sided 126-89 loss to the Clippers. Despite feeling some discomfort, Claxton put up six points and five rebounds over 24 minutes of play.
Coach Jordi Fernández praised Claxton for his toughness and determination, saying "Yeah, I think it's his right hand... He finished [Friday's] game, and then he's willing to be out there. Obviously, we care about his health, and everything is fine." The finger injury was sustained in Friday's loss to the Celtics.
Claxton's grit and willingness to play despite pain were on full display as he grimaced in agony after being raked across the hand by Kawhi Leonard during a blocked shot in the third quarter. However, Claxton remained in the game.
In other news, rookie Nolan Traore was out of Sunday's game with an illness after posting a career-high 21 points on Friday. Meanwhile, Cam Thomas sat out with a sprained left ankle and will be assessed throughout the week. Coach Fernández stated that Thomas would undergo proper treatment to alleviate his soreness before returning to action.
The Nets are scheduled to face off against the Suns in Phoenix on Tuesday, but Devin Booker's right ankle sprain has ruled him out of the game.
Claxton's efforts were not enough to turn the tide in favor of the Nets as they struggled to contain the Clippers' offense. Despite the loss, Claxton's resilience and commitment to his team earned praise from Coach Fernández, who acknowledged the center's toughness and determination despite playing through pain.
? First it's Nic Claxton, now Nolan Traore... you'd think the trainers would do better 
. And poor Cam Thomas, gotta feel bad for him 
. But at the same time, I love how Claxton just went out there and played through that finger injury despite feeling awful 
. That takes grit, you know? His coach is right, it's all about being willing to put your body on the line. And yeah, the Clippers totally took advantage of them, but still... gotta give credit where credit is due 
.
I'm literally shaking with rage... NOT AT THE CLIPPERS btw, I love how Nic Claxton put it all on the line for his team 
! That finger injury must've been AWFUL but he still managed to come out swinging (literally) 
. Like, seriously can you even imagine having to play through that kind of pain? It's like your hand is literally screaming at you "STOP PLAYING, WE'RE ON FIRE" 
!
. I'm not even mad about the loss (okay, maybe a little 
) because we all know the Nets are gonna bounce back and CRUSH those Suns on Tuesday 
. Meanwhile, Nolan Traore gotta be feeling like trash after getting benched with that illness 
. And poor Cam Thomas, ankle sprains are NO JOKE 
️
!
. And let's not forget about the long-term implications - will the Nets be able to sustain their young talent without guys like Traore and Thomas getting injured? I mean, Coach Fernández saying they care about Claxton's health is one thing, but what does that say about the team's overall approach to player safety and development? It's all about balance, folks 
.
I mean, can you believe this forum is even allowing people to post about sports news again? It's always the same - some dude gets hurt on the court, everyone's all like "oh poor guy" but no one questions why he's not getting taken out of the game and actually resting. And don't even get me started on coaches praising players for playing through pain... it's just so predictable 
.
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[GIF of a basketball bouncing into a broken mirror]
. Clippers just destroyed them 126-89, yikes! 
. Can't catch a break for the Nets... Nolan Traore gets sick and Cam Thomas goes down with an ankle sprain, too 
. Coach Fernández is all smiles 'cause Claxton played through pain but it's not enough to save them from getting destroyed 
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I mean, come on, Nic Claxton is like the ultimate warrior 
. I've gotta give it to him, though - Coach Fernández is spot on about his toughness and determination 
. The guy's got heart, plain and simple 
...