Another ‘big’ test for Claxton

Despite the Nets falling late against the Timberwolves on Thursday, Nic Claxton proved that he can battle with one of the best centers in the league in Rudy Gobert.

Going into the matchup, Brooklyn was lacking in size against Minnesota’s two big centers, the 7-foot-1 Gobert and the 7-foot KarlAnthony Towns.

Towns (27 points, 10 rebounds) and Gobert (10 points, 13 rebounds) both had double-doubles on the night. Gobert also is the league’s second-best rebounder, averaging 12.5, and is ranked eighth in the NBA in blocks per game (2.1) — two places behind Claxton’s 2.2.

However, the Nets’ fifthyear center held his own with his 6-foot-11, 215pound frame, tallying 16 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocks against the Minnesota big men, who eventually got the better of him in a 96-94 victory at Barclays Center.

He will undergo another test Saturday, facing Houston’s third-year center Alperen Sengun, who is having his best season to date, averaging 22.1 points, 5.1 assists and 9.2 rebounds per game while shooting 54.1 percent. In his past five games, he is averaging 25.6 points.

Against the Rockets, the Nets will try to turn their season around as it hits the halfway point, hoping to break a three-game losing streak among a larger struggle, having dropped 12 of their past 15 games.

Day’Ron Sharpe (left hyperextension), Whitehead (left stress reaction), and Ben Simmons (lower-back nerve impingement) will remain out Saturday against the Rockets.

On Thursday, coach Jacque Vaughn announced that Simmons will play with the G-League Long Island Nets on Saturday and is expected to return as early as next week if no roadblocks occur.