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Ben Simmons ruled out for Nets’ must-win Game 4 against Celtics

By
Peter Botte
Published April 24, 2022
Updated April 24, 2022, 7:24 p.m. ET

Ben Simmons’ debut with the Nets will not come in their first elimination game against the Celtics.

Simmons, the three-time All-Star who hasn’t played since the Nets acquired him from the 76ers in February due to a herniated disk in his back, had targeted Monday’s Game 4 after joining his teammates in practice in recent days.

Trailing their first-round playoff series 3-0 following Saturday’s loss at Barclays Center, the Nets have listed Simmons as out for Monday’s must-win game on their official injury report. Simmons woke up Sunday with back soreness again, according to ESPN, and the decision was made to continue to hold him out of the lineup.

Nets coach Steve Nash said after practice Sunday that he had “no idea” if Simmons would play, but he indicated that it might not be fair to Simmons or the rest of the team to put him in that situation for his first game since the playoffs last June.

The Nets ruled Ben Simmons out for Game 4 against the Celtics.
The Nets ruled Ben Simmons out for Game 4 against the Celtics. Corey Sipkin

“That’s a good question,” Nash said. “Part of the decision has to be Ben’s. I think that he has to be all-in. And so that is a part of the equation, that’s fair. It’s not all on Ben. It’s not like, ‘Ah, come on, you didn’t play Ben.’ This is a unique situation. He’s never played with his teammates. And to go into a playoff situation after a long period of inactivity and injury is not straightforward.”

The 25-year-old Simmons hasn’t played in an NBA game since the Sixers’ loss to the Hawks in Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs last June. He requested a trade last summer and cited mental-health issues for his holdout before the Nets acquired him with Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two future first-round picks on Feb. 10 for Harden and Paul Millsap.

Simmons, who has three years and $114 million remaining on his contract beginning next season, was diagnosed with a herniated disk in his lower back in March and received an epidural shot to lessen the pain.

Despite Simmons ramping up his activity in recent days, Nash acknowledged Sunday that he still hadn’t scrimmaged with the team’s starters. The hope still was that the 6-foot-11 Simmons could help the team’s offense — and slumping stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving — with his ability in the transition game and defensively with an ability to guard any position on the floor.