It’s a curious development; the Nets had Garnett listed in the starting lineup Monday night and he even warmed up with the team, but he left the court for the locker room shortly before tipoff and was ruled out after his back tightened up once again. He left the game for good at halftime, ambling through the tunnel and squeezing into an SUV while in street clothes.
Garnett had warmed up hours before the game without any apparent ill effects. He hasn’t played since a 12-minute stint against the Denver Nuggets on February 27th.
The Nets play the defending champion Miami Heat Wednesday night, a team they’ve beaten twice at home this year. It’s the last time they play the Heat in the regular season. Garnett played a season-high 36 minutes in their last meeting, securing one of his three double-doubles on the year with 12 points and 10 rebounds in a double-overtime victory.
Andrei Kirilenko, who missed Monday night’s 101-97 victory with a sprained right ankle, will travel with the team and is officially listed as questionable to play.
