The Brooklyn Nets will remain shorthanded for another critical matchup with the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. Cam Thomas was ruled out for his third straight game due to a right ankle/midfoot sprain, while Ben Simmons is listed as questionable after missing the last two due to left leg soreness.
Interim head coach Kevin Ollie called both players day-to-day before Thursday's 124-97 blowout win over Atlanta.
Cam Thomas injured the ankle with seven minutes left in Monday's win over the Memphis Grizzlies. He had X-rays that came back negative and downplayed the severity of the sprain. The 22-year-old is tied with Mikal Bridges as Brooklyn's leading scorer this season, averaging 20.9 points per game on 44/36/84 shooting splits.
Ben Simmons was not listed on the Nets' initial status report Thursday but was later downgraded to questionable and then out. The three-time All-Star exited Saturday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves due to left leg soreness and did not return. He played 14 minutes vs. Memphis before sitting Brooklyn's next two games.
After sitting the second half of last season due to a nerve impingement in his back, Simmons missed three months this year due to the same injury in a different area. The Aussie also battled multiple left leg injuries early in 2022-23. He missed two extended periods due to a left knee ailment, having blood drained and receiving PRP injections both times, and sat another extended stretch due to a left calf strain.
The former number-one pick has averaged 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 24 minutes per game over 15 appearances this season.
Brooklyn broke out of an offensive cold stretch during Thursday's win, posting 32 assists with 10 turnovers while shooting 22-of-46 from three (47.8 percent). Ollie's squad can trim the Hawks' lead for 10th place to two games while gaining the tiebreaker with a win on Saturday.
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