SALT LAKE CITY — The Nets were without Cam Johnson, D'Angelo Russell and Cam Thomas for Sunday's game against Utah.
And Ben Simmons is almost certain to miss one of the next two as well.
Jordi Fernandes admitted that Simmons has not yet been cleared to play on both ends of the back-to-back. Brooklyn plays at the Trail Blazers on Tuesday and at the Clippers on Wednesday, so the Nets coach remained mum on whether Simmons has already decided whether he will sit in Portland or Los Angeles.
“That's my secret,” Fernandez said cheekily Sunday before the Nets' 112-111 overtime loss to the Jazz. “Perhaps yes. Probably not.”
It's unclear whether the Nets will play Simmons on Tuesday to give Russell an extra day to recover in hopes of Russell being available for the game against the Clippers.
Russell missed his fourth consecutive game Sunday with a right shin contusion. Johnson suffered a sprained right ankle with just seconds left in a Jan. 2 win at Milwaukee and missed his fifth straight game.
“Yeah, they're working and they're going about their day to day,” Fernandez said. “But we're happy with what we're seeing and how they're working. Obviously they're with the group, as well as Trendon. [Watford]. And it's so good to have them around, give their fair share of sweat, and watch them function. ”
Watford is on a six-game road trip with the Nets, but Fernandez said it was unlikely the forward would play before returning to Brooklyn.
Two-way player Tosan Ebubuomwan extended his streak of double-digit games played to three, tying a career high.
He scored a career-high 15 points at the end of the third quarter and finished with 22 points.
The Princeton product made two clutch, go-ahead free throws with 6.1 seconds left in overtime, and the Nets lost to the Jazz.
Fernandes has been impressed with the young forward's play since recently joining the Nets and said he expects to see more playing time.
Giare Williams scored 19 points, extending his double-digit appearance streak to a career-high five games in a row.
Darik Whitehead did not play Sunday, although he was cleared due to concussion protocol issues from an injury sustained during his time in the G League on Long Island.
“It was an elbow. I shot myself a little bit in the head,” Whitehead told the Post. “I mean, I tried to keep playing, but I got a really bad headache, like a migraine. It started right away, but I was still trying to play. I told them I was fine. But then it got worse. So I said, “Okay. [I need to tell them]”
Watford (left hamstring injury), Bojan Bogdanovic (recovering from left foot injury), Cam Thomas (left hamstring injury), Maxwell Lewis (left tibia fracture), De'Anthony Melton (left knee anterior cruciate ligament tear) on Sunday. He was absent from the tournament.
Thomas will not be re-evaluated until the end of his trip.
Lauri Markkanen (lower back spasms), Keyontae George (heel), John Collins (lower back), Jordan Clarkson (left foot) and Taylor Hendricks (fractured right ankle) all missed the Utah squad.
Bryce Sensabaugh played despite being suspected of being ill.
After a game between the Lakers and Clippers was postponed due to deadly wildfires in the area, the NBA informed both teams on Sunday that their regularly scheduled game will be played on Monday. Ta. After playing the Clippers at Intuit Dome on Wednesday, the Nets will play the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Friday.
The Lakers will host a donation drive at the Nets game to support relief efforts.
