The Brooklyn Nets big man Nic Claxton made a comeback on Sunday against the Washington Wizards, marking his return since suffering a sprained left ankle in the season-opening loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
His return proved timely, contributing significantly with 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting, along with 13 rebounds and four blocks in the Nets’ 102-94 victory at Barclays Center.
Having missed eight games due to the injury, Claxton’s return provides a boost for the Nets who have grappled with health issues early in the season.
Claxton played nearly 28 minutes in his return and said he was “pretty much in rhythm from the start. I didn’t want to overthink it.”
“It’s been a little while since he’s played,” head coach Jacque Vaughn said before the game. “So just get him familiar with the plan again, the contact, the physicality, the conditioning piece of it.”
It didn’t take long for Claxton to return to form.
“We talked about the impact Nic had on the defensive end of the floor and the plays he made at the end of the game,’’ Vaughn said of Claxton’s solid all-around play.
“He deters at the rim and his ability to switch [on defense]. We missed that.”
Nets’ Nic Claxton makes big impact in return to lineup from ankle injury https://t.co/zYp2jENXAY pic.twitter.com/xiFXf2coVJ
— New York Post (@nypost) November 13, 2023
