French hoops fans didn't see just a hard-fought action between the Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2024 NBA Paris Games. Apparently, they also witnessed a heated altercation that starred Nic Claxton and Tristan Thompson.
With 9:51 left in regulation, Claxton glided in the air and smacked an alley-oop slam dunk over Thompson's contest. As the walking Clax was fired up and chirping following his strong finish, he got bumped hard by the Cavs veteran as they met across off a timeout call.
Claxton crashed on the floor, which immediately ignited a commotion between the Nets and the Cavs troops. The Accor Arena crowd unleashed an oozing intrigue at the sudden skirmish, forcing officials and team staffers from both teams to break it up.
Harsh penalties delivered
As the officials reviewed the event, Thompson was assessed with a hefty punishment.
The Cavs center was slapped with an ejection as referees cited a “hostile act” in which he flagrantly fouled Claxton upon the heated play. He exited the game with one point and two rebounds in 11 minutes.
Meanwhile, Nic received just a technical foul due to the taunting he made that sparked the fracas.
Weighing the heated altercation
Nic truly has a history of taunting actions after his strong plays and performances, and this recent event just served as a new one.
While Thompson's assessment appears harsh, the referees made the right decision to toss him out. As the NBA desires a great brand representation and a respectable image for both teams in the Paris Games, Thompson crossed the line by delivering an unpleasant move.
In the end, the Nets center and his team can only go home disappointed as they fell against the Cavs, 112-102, on the marquee basketball treat for European fans.
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