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The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers are quickly becoming one of the NBA’s biggest rivalries. In their meeting on January 25, as part of NBA Rivalry Week, things got chippy between the two Eastern Conference powerhouses. Sixers big man Joel Embiid got in the face of Nets star center Nicolas Claxton in the first quarter of the contest, which resulted in both players getting hit with double technical fouls.
After the game, Embiid didn’t hold back when discussing his exchange with Claxton.
“He said something he shouldn’t have. That’s why when I walked up to his face, I told him to say it to my face again. That’s why he looked away and didn’t say it again because he knows why,” Embiid told reporters via SNY.
“There’s not a lot of times when I get in those situations. I’m not going to allow any sort of disrespect, and that’s why he couldn’t say to my face again.”
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Cam Thomas Sounds off on Sophomore Season
The Nets are already a deep, dangerous team when healthy. But the scary part about it is their roster can go even deeper. Second-year guard Cam Thomas has shown he can score on multiple levels. He proved that during his back-to-back appearances in the NBA Summer League. But with the depth that the Nets have this season with new additions such as Edmond Sumner and TJ Warren, the Nets sophomore has seen minimal playing time.
But even though he isn’t seeing the floor much these days, Thomas says he is still using this season as a learning experience.
“I have a better understanding of the NBA game and how it works. Of course, I still want to get better. I’m only in Year 2 but I feel like I have a better understanding of the NBA style of play. So that’s a big thing for me,” Thomas said to Ian Begley of SNY.
“I’m just going to continue to learn, continue to talk to KD, and Kyrie about what to look for. Just pick their brains. I think I’ve become a better player in that aspect, and I just want to keep growing.”
Kevin Durant Eager to Get Back on the Court
The Nets got an update on their All-Star forward, Kevin Durant, who has been out since January 8 with an MCL sprain. Though he still is not healthy enough to return to the floor, Durant has made progress and has been cleared to resume “running and on-court basketball activities,” per a team release.
On January 24th, Durant addressed the media for the first time since his injury.
“I want to play tomorrow if I can. So that’s what my sense of urgency is. I don’t want to rush anything…but yeah, I want to play,” Durant said via SNY.
“I want to be a part of all these events. I missed going back to Golden State, my previous home. It’s been three years since I did that; you see all this stuff pass you by when you get injured.”
Durant will get re-evaluated in another two weeks. That falls in the vicinity of February 7. If he gets cleared to return on the next evaluation, he would be able to participate in the NBA All-Star game for the first time since 2019, when he won the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award in Charlotte.
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