Sources: Ben Simmons returned to Philly as 76ers quarantined in New York before undisclosed injury led to fine
The NBA has fined the Philadelphia 76ers $25,000 for not listing Ben Simmons on their injury report, sources tell Yahoo Sports.
Simmons was a late scratch with a knee injury leading into Saturday afternoon’s game against the Denver Nuggets, but the league wasn’t informed of the development in requisite time. The 76ers barely had enough players to field a roster in the aftermath of Seth Curry’s COVID-19 diagnosis and subsequent contact tracing of teammates.
Joel Embiid also missed the game due to a back injury, and the NBA didn’t question his being out.
Simmons, however, is another case.
According to sources, Simmons left the New York area following the 76ers’ Thursday night game against the Brooklyn Nets. Due to the timing of Curry’s diagnosis, the team decided to stay in New York an extra night.
Simmons got a driver and went back to Philadelphia without the team’s knowledge, only to return when the team discovered he didn’t stay in New York.
The team wasn’t in a mandatory quarantine, but there are no approved restaurants or venues in the New York City area so the players were to remain in the team hotel.
When the 76ers returned home to Philadelphia for Saturday’s game, coach Doc Rivers revealed Simmons had a knee injury that would keep him out although there was no instance of an injury occurring.
Simmons didn’t make the trip to Atlanta for their Monday night game against the Atlanta Hawks and is listed as day-to-day.
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