As part of the NBA’s efforts to grow the game of basketball globally, the league sent the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Brooklyn Nets to play one of their regular season games in Paris, France. Tristan Thompson’s night, unfortunately, ended early as he was ejected early in the fourth quarter after getting into a scuffle with Nets big man Nic Claxton, who received a taunting technical after he yammed one down over the Cavs veteran’s head.
Tristan Thompson and Nic Claxton were apparently chirping all game long. Of course, the Nets center did not waste the opportunity to talk smack after he threw down a nasty alley-oop with the Cavs big man attempting to contest the dunk.
Thompson, meanwhile, wasn’t about to let Claxton’s yapping slide. As he made his way back to the Cavs bench, he made sure give Claxton a solid shoulder shiver that sent the wiry 6-foot-11 center to the deck.
That’s when hell broke loose. Here is another angle of the altercation between Thompson and Claxton.
In the end, despite getting ejected, Tristan Thompson and the Cavs got the last laugh.
Cleveland defeated Brooklyn in the Paris Games 2024, 111-102, thanks to a season-high 45 points from Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell shot 15-of-30 from the field, went 11-of-13 from the foul line, and finished with 12 rebounds, six assists, and four steals. As for the Nets, they were led by the tandem of Mikal Bridges and Cam Thomas, who both scored 26 points.
Thompson wound up playing just nine minutes, while Claxton with 13 points and 11 rebounds on 6-of-9 shooting.