Getty Ben Simmons #10 of the Brooklyn Nets sits on the bench during the first quarter of Round 1 Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Boston Celtics
After a 112-116 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 4, the Brooklyn Nets are now officially eliminated from the playoffs by way of a 4-0 sweep. The Nets’ season was filled with turmoil from day one. A New York City vaccination mandate prevented unvaccinated Nets star Kyrie Irving from playing home games at Barclays Center, and thus led to the Nets sidelining him completely before they reinstated him in January. Less than a month later, All-NBA guard James Harden requested a trade from the team at the trade deadline. Not to mention injuries to key players such as Kevin Durant and Joe Harris. And despite seeming to overcome it all after making it through the play-in tournament, the Nets’ run still came to an early halt in the first round.
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Ben Simmons Slammed for Absence on Nets Bench
The Nets trailed by 15 points in the 3rd quarter but came close to victory, cutting the lead to just two points in the final minute of the 4th quarter. After multiple reports said that all signs pointed to Simmons making his Nets debut in Game 4, he was unable to suit up after suffering another injury setback. But the absence of Simmons on the floor is not all that he was criticized for during the Nets’ elimination loss. It was his absence in the building to support the Nets. Simmons was not on Brooklyn’s bench as he had been during the rest of the series, which garnered a lot of criticism from NBA fans on Twitter.
Ben Simmons not being on the Nets bench was very concerning bro wtf
Ben Simmons not even being on the bench shows how pathetic he really is. Simply just weak mentally and physically
Curious what folks thought about Ben Simmons not appearing on the Nets bench tonight? 👀
In the end, Ben Simmons does not suit up for the Brooklyn Nets for the entirety of the 2021-22 season.
He was not present on the team’s bench for their final game.
Ben Simmons not even on the bench #BOSvsBKN
Ben Simmons must not be on the Nets bench because whatever outfit he picked out for tonight didn’t vibe with the colors of the Nets warmups
Ben Simmons not even on the bench….he said “Y’ALL” getting swept not me lol
Steve Nash Sounds off on Game 4 Loss
For the Nets, as outmatched as they may have seemed in their series with the Celtics, the outcome was not decided by a large margin. Despite trailing by double digits multiple times in the series, they never lost a single game by 10 points and only lost by a combined 18 points in the 4 games they played. Nets head coach Steve Nash says that the team played hard in Game 4, but ultimately did not have enough to avoid the sweep.
“It felt like there were a few stories unfolding. At halftime, we told the players, ‘we got to all come back and rebound. They had a lot of second-chance points to none at the half. We missed a bunch of free throws in the first half. In the second half, I felt our guys really battled,” Nash said to reporters after the Game 4 loss per NetsDaily.
“Maybe they ran out of gas. Maybe we needed to score the ball, we went small, and it takes a toll on these guys to have to cover bigger guys all night, keep them off the glass, and still fly around and play fast with a small lineup. In the end, that wore our guys down and we weren’t able to make enough plays.”
Although it may be hard to see right now, all things considered, the Nets season could be viewed as a success. With Kyrie Irving and Durant set to lead the ship next season, and Joe Harris expected to make a full recovery, there is no telling what this team could accomplish with a full season together in 2023.
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