Ben Simmons’ return to the court is just going to have to wait, still.
The Brooklyn Nets announced on Sunday that Simmons was ruled out for Game 4 as he continues to rehab his way back from a herniated disk in his back that he has had since late February.
The 25-year-old All-Star sounded optimistic that he would be ready for Game 4 and reports indicated he would return prior to the Nets falling to Boston in Game 3. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Simmons awoke with back soreness on Sunday after practicing Saturday.
With Simmons’ status officially listed as out, it is plausible his 2021-22 season may end without him having played a single game should the Boston Celtics complete a sweep of the Nets on Monday.
The last game Simmons played in was on June 20 when the 76ers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Atlanta Hawks.
Since then, Simmons refused to play for the 76ers after requesting a trade and had yet to been cleared to play by the Nets as he worked back into game shape and rehabbed from his back injury.
The Nets traded James Harden for Simmons, along with Seth Curry and Andre Drummond, in February.
It is unclear if the Nets falling to the brink of elimination factored into the decision, but head coach Steve Nash was asked after Sunday’s practice if it would be fair to bring Simmons back into that kind of situation.
“That’s a good question,” Nash said, per ESPN. “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.”
Meanwhile, NBA fans on social media reacted unsurprised as the news came out Simmons would not play.
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