PHILADELPHIA — As it turns out, it was just one game of horror for Ben Simmons.
The Nets star missed Wednesday’s game with a left knee contusion, but returned in Saturday’s 136-121 win over the 76ers.
Simmons did not attempt a shot in 14 minutes but had nine rebounds and five assists.
He was also booed by 76ers fans for the first time after checking in with seven minutes left in the first quarter, and the jeers continued every time he touched the ball.
There were cheers when Simmons was whistled for a foul and when he failed to connect with a teammate on a pass, but other than that, it was his third game at Wells Fargo Center since the February 2022 trade. , I didn’t see much of a sarcastic or heartfelt welcoming response. .
“That’s interesting to me,” Simmons said. “I got angry and yelled at by grown men. …It’s not that deep. It’s a sport, but that’s what it entails, so I enjoy it.”
Simmons was injured while trying to block a layup in the fourth quarter on Monday and left the game, missing 38 consecutive games for a cameo appearance and ultimately missing the next one.
He called it “pretty annoying,” but the initial results and his quick return gave him optimism that further injuries had been avoided in a career filled with and defined by injuries. Brought.
“It’s never a lingering thing,” Nets head coach Jacques Vaughn said before the game. “Something suddenly happened during the match.” [Wednesday], and since I got a response after a few days of treatment, I would like to continue on my path to playing. ”
In the second quarter, Simmons grabbed a rebound and pushed the ball to Mikal Bridges for a transition shot, but drew a foul.
Simmons provided the pace off the bench, and the resulting Nets’ drive-and-kick was “probably some of the best this year,” Vaughn said.
He also brought size to the second unit and continued to create open shots for the guards, Cam Thomas added.
Bourne had expressed “hopeful expectation” Friday that the Nets would have their star player back in the lineup at the Wells Fargo Center, where Simmons spent the first four healthy seasons of his career.
That ended up being an accurate timeline, and the Nets unleashed their offensive potential with Simmons as a facilitator.
“Perfect,” Lonnie Walker IV said of Simmons’ contribution without even taking a shot. “I think most of the time people love to talk about the BS about him not scoring goals or whatever it is.
“But he’s a basketball player. He knows the game well and plays the game the right way.”
Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle sprain) missed three consecutive games and continues to be sidelined. …Dennis Smith Jr. (sore right foot) did not play after having his injury evaluated before the game.
Dayron Sharpe (hyperextended left knee) did some court work with one of the Nets’ coaches, but there were no “extra bodies around him,” Vaughn said.
Spencer Dinwiddie moved into fourth place in team history with his 1,971st Nets assist, according to the team. He trails Deron Williams (2,078), Kenny Anderson (2,363) and Jason Kidd (4,620).
