Ben Simmons made a resounding comeback from his prolonged back injury, narrowly missing a triple-double as the Brooklyn Nets convincingly beat the Utah Jazz, 147-114.
The Australian guard, sidelined for 12 weeks and 38 games due to a nerve impingement, showcased his skills in a dominating performance, finishing with 10 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds in just 18 minutes of play.
“We got the win, so yes,” Simmons said, according to ESPN, when asked if it was a successful return. “That’s the main objective for me, and that’s really all I care about.”
Simmons’ return proved instrumental in Brooklyn’s most convincing win and highest score of the season, breaking a streak of inconsistent performances. Mikal Bridges and Cam Thomas topped the Nets in scoring, contributing 33 and 25 points, respectively.4
Entering the game with a two-point lead, Simmons, making only his seventh appearance of the season, sparked a 14-0 run, propelling the Nets to a 16-point advantage. Throughout the game, Brooklyn maintained a lead of at least nine points, securing their first back-to-back victories since late December.
Simmons set a franchise record in the first quarter with six assists off the bench. Displaying no signs of his back injury, Simmons demonstrated his all-around skills, contributing defensively with steals and offensively with well-timed assists and rebounds
“Extremely impressive,” Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn told ESPN after the game. “Other people played so well tonight because of the impact of Ben Simmons. It’s that simple.”
Having only participated in the shoot-around on game day after training with the G-League affiliate Long Island over the weekend, Simmons’ return exceeded expectations Vaughn acknowledged the need to assess Simmons’ condition post-game, considering his injury history, to determine the appropriate workload for future games.
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