Boston Celtics injury news: Nets will be down an All-Star in Cs matchup

The Boston Celtics will be battling a Brooklyn Nets squad lacking a multi-time All-Star when the two teams play on Sunday, December 4 at the Barclays Center.

Ben Simmons, who has largely failed to play at an All-Star level this year as he recovers from a back injury, will be missing his third straight game as the Cs visit Kings County, New York for the first of two trips this season — the second being in January.

Simmons’ injury has been diagnosed as a left lateral upper calf strain, which he first had to be benched for in the second quarter of Brooklyn’s 109-102 victory over the Orlando Magic on November 28.

Simmons has been an integral part of the Nets’ resurgence this season. The Australian point-forward is currently averaging 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in his first season in Brooklyn.

The Boston Celtics could use a bounce-back effort after Miami Heat loss

While the loss was only the fifth of the season for the Boston Celtics — and was the third overtime loss of the season, marking more pitfalls after regulation than during the first 48 minutes — during the 2022-23 season, the Cs need to bounce back from the Miami Heat besting them in overtime 120-116.

With the Nets down Ben Simmons, things do get easier for the Cs, though. Until Robert Williams III returns to the lineup, the paint is the best place to score, and Simmons exclusively contributes at the rim. If T.J. Warren plays (status unknown as of this writing), that should add another driver Boston would need to worry about.

Brooklyn will almost assuredly be relying more on 3-point shooters like Joe Harris, Seth Curry, and Cam Thomas in the interim, though. That combined with the offensive superpowers of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, of course.

It’ll be an uphill, though certainly not insurmountable, climb for the Celtics on Sunday, even without Simmons in black and white.