Brooklyn Nets’ Cam Johnson suffered a right ankle sprain during Tuesday’s game, forcing him to exit early. The injury occurred when Johnson landed after taking a 3-pointer and appeared to have little space to do so due to Kyle Lowry’s defense. Despite no foul being called, Johnson stayed in the game for another minute before limping off. He finished the game with six points on 2 of 4 shooting in just over eight minutes.
Johnson’s injury adds to the Nets’ list of concerns regarding player health. Backup center Day’Ron Sharpe missed Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers due to a right wrist contusion. He had undergone a scan earlier, and the team is awaiting the results to determine his availability going forward. Sharpe sustained the injury during Monday’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies after taking a hard fall. He left the game but returned briefly towards the end. Sharpe is known for his rebounding abilities and ranks second in rebounds per 36 minutes in the league.
Lonnie Walker, despite being listed as questionable with a sprained left ankle, played against the 76ers and contributed 19 points and four rebounds in 30 minutes. Walker had twisted his ankle in a previous game against the Grizzlies but expressed confidence in his ability to play against Philadelphia.
Other players dealing with injuries for the Nets include Ben Simmons (back) and Cam Thomas (right ankle/midfoot sprain), who were both out. Thomas is gradually increasing his workouts and working with the medical staff to determine when he will be ready to return.
On the opposing side, the Philadelphia 76ers were missing Joel Embiid, who will be evaluated later in the week. Robert Covington (left knee bone bruise), DeAnthony Melton (lumbar spine bone stress), and Tyrese Maxey (concussion) were also unavailable for the game.
The Nets have had a challenging season with back-to-back games, having played their 10th back-to-back on Tuesday. They have a record of 5-5 on the front end of those games but only 2-7 on the tail end.
In addition to the injury concerns, the Nets struggled with their free-throw shooting during Monday’s game. They shot just 17 of 30 from the line, which is their second-lowest percentage of the season for a team with at least 30 attempts. The poor performance at the line resulted in their worst percentage in a game since February 2017.
Despite the injuries and challenges, the Nets managed to secure a win against the 76ers with a score of 112-107. The team will continue to evaluate the injured players and adjust their lineup accordingly as they strive for success in the remainder of the season.
