Nets: Ben Simmons ruled out for Tuesday’s game vs. Bucks

Ben Simmons will miss yet another game due to left knee soreness, the Nets announced late Monday afternoon.

It will mark the third consecutive game that Simmons has missed because of a knee issue since the Nets returned to action following the NBA All-Star break. The news didn’t come as too much of a surprise after telling reporters in Chicago last week that he would reevaluate where he’s at in a week.

“There’s some targets I need to hit and get to. From there on,” Simmons said at the time, according to the New York Post.

Brooklyn has three games this week, including Tuesday’s game with the Bucks at Barclays Center. The Nets will face their Manhattan rival, the New York Knicks, on Wednesday and the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Friday.

The likelihood of Simmons playing in either of those games looks slim as well.

Simmons has dealt with knee soreness for a good chunk of the season and he even had fluid in his left knee drained and a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection before the break. This will be the 19th game of the year that Simmons has missed.

He has been averaging career lows this season as he’s tried to work his way back from offseason back surgery. Simmons is averaging 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 42 games this year for Brooklyn.

Additionally, he has shot an abysmal 43.9% from the free-throw line.