Author: Tim Bontemps

Tim Bontemps, ESPNDec 2, 2023, 06:19 PM ET

Open Extended Reactions

BROOKLYN — Brooklyn announced late Saturday afternoon that forward Ben Simmons had received an epidural injection in his back, meaning his absence with a nerve issue in his lower back will stretch to more than a month.

“The epidural happened within the course of this week here,” coach Jacque Vaughn said before the Nets beat the NBA’s hottest team, the Orlando Magic, 129-101 at Barclays Center on Saturday night. “It was just a part of his getting back to playing, and that is a part of his treatment, a part of his strengthening that was just a part of his getting back to a position of joining us. No setbacks.

“Right now he is still doing low-level stuff on the court. So no rebounding drills, no sprinting up the floor. Then, in two weeks, you’ll continue to strengthen it and we’ll have something

Tim Bontemps, ESPNDec 5, 2023, 12:45 AM ET

Open Extended Reactions

INDIANAPOLIS — After missing Saturday’s win over the Miami Heat with an upper respiratory infection, Indiana Pacers superstar Tyrese Haliburton didn’t look like himself in the first half of Monday’s in-season tournament quarterfinal against the Boston Celtics.

“The first half, I was dead,” Haliburton said later.

So, at halftime, Haliburton — at the behest of the athletic training staff — did something he’s never done before: he used an inhaler.

As a result, when the second half started, he looked like himself again — and the Pacers looked like a totally different team. And, behind Haliburton’s first career triple-double — 26 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in 40 minutes — Indiana emerged with a 122-112 victory over the heavily favored Celtics to advance to the in-season tournament semifinals in Las Vegas on Thursday.

“It feels good to win,” Haliburton said with a smile, “especially