It took Reggie Miller less than nine seconds to crush Ben Simmons.
Miller, who famously scored eight points in the last nine seconds of a playoff game when the Pacers stunned the Knicks in 1995, dropped another postseason hammer on New York. This time, Miller, an analyst for TNT, used Twitter instead of his 3-point shot to send a message after the Brooklyn Nets ruled out Simmons (back) for Game 4 of their series against the Celtics.
“Cmon MAN!!!” Miller wrote with the Nets on the brink of elimination. “Out for Game 4 when it was rumored you were going to make your debut. This guy has ZERO competition [fire emoji].”
Players (active or retired) rarely criticize other players for injuries. It is an unwritten rule not to question another fraternity member’s toughness without knowing their level of pain.
Come on dude!!! Off for Game 4 when there were rumors you were about to make your debut. This guy has ZERO competitiveness 🔥. As small as the chance of the Nets coming back in this series, you still have KD and Kyrie, all it takes is to win ONE game and move on from there.. #ManUp pic.twitter.com/Y5smcnQkqZ
— Reggie Miller (@ReggieMillerTNT) April 24, 2022
And yet, when in doubt, Simmons was not accorded the same advantage. Maybe he used up all his goodwill the way he pushed himself away from the ’76ers.
Reggie MillerNBAE via Getty Images
“As slim as the Nets have a chance of coming back in this series,” Miller, an NBA Hall of Famer, wrote of a photo of Simmons in street clothes, “They still have KD [Kevin Durant] and Kyri [Irving], all you need is to win ONE game and move on from there. #ManUp”
The Nets acquired Simmons as the centerpiece of James Harden’s return package. But Simmons has yet to play for both teams this season due to a herniated disc in his back. The Nets are eliminated with another loss to the Celtics, and the NBA teams are 0-143 in streak after losing the first three games.