Ben Simmons ruled out for Game 2, Nash leaves door open for Game 3 return

Ben Simmons is nearing a potential return. The former Sixer was cleared for contact and played 4 on 4 action on Monday. Simmons' next progression would be full 5-on-5 practice without any setbacks to be cleared to play.

Nash said Simmons would not play in Game 2. When asked about possibility of Game 3, Nash was non-committal — saying this is such a unique situation with how much time Simmons has missed they are waiting to see how his back responds over next few days before deciding next steps.

— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) April 19, 2022

Brooklyn travels to take on Boston on Wednesday night and while Nash has all but ruled out Simmons for Game 2, it's appearing more and more likely that Game 3 at Barclays Center is a potential target for his return.

Ben Simmons played 4 on 4 yesterday. His first contact practice since arriving.

Still no update on debut…

— Michael Grady (@Grady) April 19, 2022

The Nets are in dire need of a defender to help contain Jayson Tatum and Simmons is the perfect candidate to fill that team need. Brooklyn trails the series 0-1 after a gut wrenching buzzer beating loss on Sunday, courtesy of a Tatum game winning layup. While the Simmons news is encouraging, the Nets need to first equalize the series on Wednesday to avoid a 0-2 hole before Simmons can even take the court.