BOSTON – The Nets may be without Joe Johnson for Friday night’s game against the Celtics.
In addition to Kevin Garnett, who didn’t make the trip to Boston and is missing his fourth straight game with back spasms, Johnson didn’t attend Nets shootaround Friday at TD Garden, staying back at the hotel with an illness that left him listed as a game-time decision against the Celtics.
“He didn’t feel good yesterday,” Nets coach Jason Kidd said. “He’s back at the hotel, and we’ll see how he feels later on.”
While Mason Plumlee will once again start for Garnett at center, Kidd admitted he hadn’t considered who would take Johnson’s place if he was unable to play.
“It’s next man up,” Kidd said. “We have plenty of guys over there who want to play, and they get an opportunity.”
Johnson is coming off excellent back-to-back performances against the Bulls Monday and Grizzlies Wednesday in Brooklyn, scoring a combined 40 points on combined 15-for-24 shooting and 8-for-11 from 3-point range, snapping a string of four straight games with 11 points or fewer.