Sixers’ Ben Simmons out vs. Nets because of back tightness
If Simmons is unable to go, this will mark the third game the two-time All-Star has missed this season.
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Ben Simmons will miss Thursday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets at Wells Fargo Center with lower-back tightness.
The 76ers point guard initially reported discomfort at Wednesday’s practice. He received treatment. However, the two-time All-Star still experienced discomfort upon waking up Thursday morning. So he received more treatment at the practice facility.
This will mark the third game that the third-year veteran has missed this season. He missed the first two games with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder. However, Simmons has been dealing with lower-back tightness since the 2018-19 preseason.
Raul Neto is the only other listed point guard on the roster. However, starting shooting guard Josh Richardson served as Simmons’ backup at point guard on Feb. 11.
Simmons is averaging 16.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, an NBA fifth-best 8.3 assists and a league-leading 2.2 steals.
The third-year veteran had 17 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block for Team LeBron in Sunday night’s All-Star Game.
He’s a candidate for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.