Nets' Nic Claxton ruled out against Knicks, to miss at least a week with lower-back strain

NEW YORK — Hours before their interborough battle with the Knicks, the Brooklyn Nets lost a big piece of their starting lineup.

Nic Claxton was diagnosed Friday with a lower-back strain and is set to miss at least a week, the Nets announced.

The 6-11 center had been listed as questionable before he was ruled out Friday. He was set to receive an epidural injection on Friday, the Nets said.

The Nets’ depth at center has already been tested, as they remain without backup big man Day’Ron Sharpe, who suffered a hamstring strain during a training camp practice.

It’s been a tricky start to the season for Claxton, who re-signed with the Nets in June on a four-year, $100 million contract.

After suffering a hamstring injury before the start of the preseason, Claxton began the regular season on a minutes restriction and did not return to the starting lineup until the Nets’ eighth game.

Claxton, 25, is averaging 8.6 points in 24.8 minutes through 11 games, including five starts. His 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game both lead the Nets.

Now in his sixth NBA season, all with the Nets, Claxton logged a season-high 32 minutes during Saturday’s loss in Cleveland, then played 32 minutes again in Monday’s win in New Orleans.

He played 24 minutes in Wednesday’s 139-114 loss to the Celtics at Barclays Center, scoring three points on 1-of-3 shooting and grabbing five rebounds.

The loss of Claxton, a defensive standout, came at an inopportune time for the Nets, as new Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns is off to an excellent start. He entered Friday averaging 26.5 points and 12.2 rebounds per game to lead the Knicks in both categories.

Before Claxton’s return to the starting lineup this month, the Nets largely deployed a starting five featuring 6-10 guard Ben Simmons, fellow guards Dennis Schröder and Cam Thomas, and forwards Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith. Simmons moved to the bench once Claxton resumed starting.

Simmons, who has dealt with back injuries throughout his Nets tenure, missed Wednesday’s game with left calf tightness. He was off the injury report the next day and active for Friday’s showdown at Madison Square Garden.

Finney-Smith, too, was active for Friday’s game after missing Wednesday’s with a left ankle sprain.

A 2019 second-round pick out of Georgia, Claxton averaged at least 11.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in both of the last two seasons.

In re-signing Claxton, the Nets identified the center as a long-term building block amid their franchise reset. The new deal came during an offseason in which the Nets traded star forward Mikal Bridges to the Knicks for a package that included five first-round picks.

Brooklyn’s next week includes another meeting with the Knicks at the Garden on Sunday, a home game against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday and a road matchup with the 76ers in Philadelphia next Friday.

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