The Brooklyn Nets are facing elimination on Monday when they play host to the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series, and there was hope that they could get a boost for the game from Ben Simmons.
The Nets acquired the star guard from the Philadelphia 76ers on Feb. 10 in a deal that sent James Harden to the Sixers. Simmons has not played for the Nets due to a back injury, but there was hope he could make his Brooklyn debut by Game 4.
That will not be the case. The Nets are listing Simmons as out for the game with their season on the line.
It makes sense why he is out. With the Nets facing elimination, it wouldn’t make much sense to throw Simmons out there. He has not played since June 2021, so it would be a very big ask for him to contribute in a positive way.
At this point, the Nets need to just focus on one game and get Simmons ready for the 2022-23 season.
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