"I need to talk to a therapist" - Nic Claxton expresses guilt over his ejection for unsportsmanlike foul on Dyson Daniels
Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton was ejected from Wednesday's season opener against the Atlanta Hawks after committing an unsportsmanlike foul on guard Dyson Daniels. Following the contest, Claxton expressed apparent remorse for his actions and pledged to control his temper.
With Brooklyn trailing 93-89 early in the fourth quarter, Atlanta stole the ball and got out on a fastbreak. Hawks guard Vit Krejci delivered a bounce pass up the court to Daniels, who had an open lane to the basket.
However, Claxton sprinted up the court behind Daniels and clotheslined him across the neck as he attempted a layup. The excessively hard foul sent the third-year guard crashing to the floor.
Afterward, Daniels popped up, ran over to Claxton in the crowd behind the net, and grabbed his jersey. The two engaged in a face-to-face confrontation before being separated, with Claxton later receiving a Flagrant 2 and an automatic ejection.
Following the Nets' 120-116 road loss, Claxton was asked about "the battle" of "trying to control his passionate emotion." He touched on his need for more accountability in his sixth season.
"Just having more situational awareness. Maybe I need to talk to a therapist or something," Claxton said. "Whatever I do, I can't get kicked out of games. I need to be there for my team. I know I was on a restriction, but I still need to be there for my team."
Nic Claxton entered Wednesday's matchup on a minutes restriction after sitting out the entire preseason due to a hamstring injury.
In 15 minutes off the bench, Claxton recorded seven points, five rebounds, one steal and one block, shooting 75.0%.
Nic Claxton's ejection against Atlanta marked rare occurrence
Despite his Flagrant 2 foul on Dyson Daniels, Nic Claxton doesn't have an extensive history of ejections.
Per ESPN, the sixth-year big man only has one other career regular-season ejection. Moreover, he has been tossed from just one outing across three playoff runs.
Both instances occurred over the last two seasons. Nevertheless, Claxton's latest ejection marked a fairly rare occurrence.
If Claxton avoids a suspension, he will have a chance to bounce back during Brooklyn's (0-1) Friday road clash against the Orlando Magic (1-0).
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