Ben Simmons is back y'all.
After a three-month recovery from back injury, the number one pick of the 2016 NBA Draft came off the bench to play for the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday (PHL).
He scored 10 points on perfect shooting and grabbed eight rebounds on top of 11 assists, a steal, and a block in 18 minutes of play. Brooklyn beat the Utah Jazz at home, 147-114.
10 Pts / 11 Ast / 8 Reb / 100 FG% / +27
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 30, 2024
Welcome back, @BenSimmons25 pic.twitter.com/vNc9r80DGG
"My God, amazing," he said when asked after the game how it felt to be back. "Just a blessing to be back on the floor and play with my guys."
"Just instinct," he said when asked about his statline. "I played with my heart. So for me, I just want to find my guys and play the right way."
That's TUFF @BenSimmons25 pic.twitter.com/ssnaTCgxXy
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 30, 2024
Mikal Bridges led the Nets with 33 points, while Cam Thomas added 25 more.
Meanwhile, Utah's top scorer Lauri Markkanen was limited to just 13 points in 26 minutes of play. Keyonte George paced the Jazz with 21 points off the bench.
"If we focus on defense, the offense is gonna come," Simmons said. He had not played since early November due to a pinched nerve in his lower back.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
