Ben Simmons’ availability for Thursday’s game against the Phoenix Suns is clouded, with the Brooklyn Nets downgrading the Australian to questionable due to a left knee contusion.
The Nets had initially listed Simmons as probable for the game, although the three-time All-Star fell awkwardly after a block on what turned out to be his final play in a successful return against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.
Simmons dismissed the severity of the incident after the win, telling reporters it was just a “little awkward fall” and that he felt “good”.
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The fact he has been downgraded to questionable though seems to suggest a potential setback as opposed to a simple case of load management as Simmons returns from a lengthy layoff.
The Australian played 18 minutes in his comeback game against the Jazz and made an immediate impact, scoring 10 points to go with 11 assists, eight rebounds, a steal and a block.
Simmons had missed 38 games this season with what was later revealed to be a nerve impingement on the lower left side of his back.
The 26-year-old also had issues with the same knee last season too, getting fluid drained from it while then receiving platelet-rich plasma (PRP injections) in both February and November last year to help address the issue.
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“People don’t see the work that goes in behind the scenes,” Simmons said after the win over Utah.
“So it took a lot of effort and patience and time to get back to where I’m at now.”
“Every single day, every morning, every day, I’m working to get back on the floor. That’s not online. You don’t see that. So for me and everyone that has seen that and seen my discipline over the last two months, it’s great to see it pay off.”
The Nets will confirm later on Thursday if Simmons will be available or ruled out from playing in the game against Phoenix.
