Game 4 on Monday may be Nets’ last of the season.
It could also be Ben Simmons’ first.
Nets coach Steve Nash was non-committal about Simmons being able to suit up Monday against the Celtics, but the young All-Star went through a third high-intensity contact workout on Saturday and seems on course for Game 4. That game will be do-or-die after the Nets lost Game 3 to the Celtics 109-103 at Barclays Center.
“I think it’s possible [for Simmons to play]. But I’m not sure,” Nash said. “It’s not a normal return to play being out nine months and being injured as long as he has been. At the back end of this, it’s been about two months or more.
“It’s not just he got through three workouts and he’s ready to play. There’s a bigger picture, bigger context to how he’s feeling, and how he’d be able to adapt to the environment. There are a few factors that play here to evaluate when he’s ready to play.”
Ben SimmonsCorey SipkinBlake Griffin made his first appearance since April 2. He had eight points, one rebound and hit 2-for-3 from deep.
“We all just need to take a look in the mirror and watch the tape and be real with ourselves and ask ourselves what we can do to be better, because it’s top to bottom,” Griffin said.
The Nets’ Patty Mills won the Joe Dumars Trophy, the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award. He’s the first player in team history to win it, finishing ahead of ex-Net Jeff Green.
“It’s a credit to my family and my parents, my upbringing, my culture specifically, and all the values that I’ve been taught growing up and now in a position to be able to inspire others to love the game, respect the game, and go about it in a manner that’s respectful,” Mills said. “So yeah, it’s cool.”
