Ben Simmons vanishes as furore erupts before Nets implode in playoffs

Ben Simmons was nowhere to be seen on Tuesday as the Brooklyn Nets’ season came crashing down after they were swept by the Celtics.

The Nets were swept by Boston.

The Brooklyn Nets’ season is officially over after losing 116-112 to Boston on Tuesday — and Ben Simmons was nowhere to be seen.

Superstars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant couldn’t do anything to prevent the Nets being swept 4-0 by the Celtics in their first-round playoffs series as the franchise failed to deliver on lofty expectations.

It’s the first time in their careers Irving and Durant have been swept in the post-season, while Brooklyn was the only team to go down 4-0 in the first round of this year’s playoffs.

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American sportscaster Skip Bayless tweeted: “I cannot believe Kevin Durant’s Brooklyn Nets just got swept.

“Until Kevin Durant has an opportunity to right this four-game wrong, I can no longer make the case he’s The Best Player on the Planet.”

The NBA community was baffled by Simmons’ absence on Brooklyn’s bench as his new team suffered a four-point loss.

Since arriving in Brooklyn courtesy of a blockbuster trade that sent James Harden to Philadelphia, Simmons has been a constant presence on the bench, supporting his teammates as he worked to overcome physical ailments and mental health issues before joining them on the floor.

A comeback in Game 4 was initially on the cards but, with the Nets trailing 3-0 and staring down the barrel of a first-round playoffs exit, it was announced Simmons still wouldn’t be right to play because of back soreness, sparking a firestorm of criticism towards the Australian.

Ben Simmons of the Brooklyn Nets. Picture: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images/AFP

When Game 4 got underway at the Barclays Center on Tuesday, the Australian was nowhere to be seen. According to reports, he wasn’t even at the venue due to his back complaints.

Looks like Simmons isn’t on the #nets bench.

— Michael K-B (@therealmikekb) April 25, 2022

He better pray that the Nets do not win this game or else he’s going to be in a really tricky spot

— Alec Sturm (@Alec_Sturm) April 25, 2022

Looks like no Ben Simmons on the bench tonight… safe to assume someone in his camp advised him that his bright outfits while sitting next to the coaching staff was an ugly optic.

— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) April 25, 2022

Ben Simmons not even sitting on the bench tonight after wearing a technicolor outfit on the bench in the previous game is so strange. #NBAPlayoffs

— Kim Adams (@Kim_Adams1) April 25, 2022

Ben Simmons not even showing up on the bench is … wow, what?

— Ashley Nicole Moss (@AshNicoleMoss) April 25, 2022

US sportscaster Stephen A. Smith ripped into Simmons over his continued absence from the floor, telling First Take he “might also be the weakest, most pathetic excuse for a professional athlete we’ve ever seen in not just American history but the history of sport”.

Meanwhile, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal isn’t buying Simmons’ excuse.

“In the hood we call this a punk move,” Shaq said during Inside the NBA on TNT.

“You know, when things are going good, ‘Oh yeah I’m going to play in Game 4’. Now that (the Nets) lost, ‘My back hurts’. Well, if your back hurts, get some Icy Hot. I’ll send it to you.

“We call this a punk move. Listen, if you’re not ready to play, you’d get more respect from the people if you just say, ‘I’m not ready to play’ and don’t say nothing else. Don’t be shooting and saying, ‘I’m coming back’.

“If you’re not going to play, don’t say you’re going to play. I think you should play.

“I think you should step up to the challenge and help your team win. But no, the punk move … we all know what that is. Guys that live this life, we know exactly what you’re doing buddy.”

O’Neal’s latest criticism of Simmons came after he called him a “crybaby” in February, and said he doesn’t “respect” him.

With The NY Post

Originally published as Ben Simmons vanishes as furore erupts before Nets implode in playoffs