Ben Simmons returns to play after 3-month recovery for back injury
Ben Simmons had been sidelined since Nov. 6 with a pinched nerve in his back.
NEW YORK (AP) — Ben Simmons had 10 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in his return from a 38-game absence, Mikal Bridges added 33 points and the Brooklyn Nets routed the Utah Jazz 147-114 on Monday night.
Simmons hadn’t played since Nov. 6 because of a pinched nerve in his lower back. The No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft played 18 minutes off the bench, made all five shots and likely would have had a triple-double if not for a minutes restriction.
Cam Thomas added 25 points for the Nets, who rolled to their highest point total of the season, had 41 assists on their 54 field goals and made 21 3-pointers. They have won two straight after losing seven of their previous eight.
Simmons has played in just six games this season, none since Nov. 6. He practiced Saturday with the Nets’ NBA G League affiliate and coach Jacque Vaughn said afterward there was a “high likelihood” that the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft would play Monday against Utah.
The Nets listed Simmons as probable to play Sunday in their injury report and he entered off the bench in the 1st quarter.
Simmons has battled back injuries since the Nets acquired him from Philadelphia nearly two years ago. The Nets originally thought his injury in November was in his left hip, before determining it was caused by an impingement in his lower back.
