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Joe Johnson out for Nets Friday, blame plantar fasciitis

Joe Johnson, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute

Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson (7) scores over Milwaukee Bucks forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (12) with time expiring for a 113-11 overtime victory in their NBA basketball game at Barclays Center, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013 in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

AP

The Nets could certainly use Joe Johnson Friday night against a Rockets team that can put up points.

But he is not going to play, Nets GM Billy King made the announcement on ESPN Radio in New York Friday (as tweeted by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News). Deron Williams got shots in his sore ankles but is expected to play through the pain.

Johnson will not, he will sit. The reason is his plantar fasciitis — pain in the membrane that runs along the bottom of the foot — flared up after Wednesday’s game. The best cure for this is rest so the Nets are giving their second leading scorer time to get right. At this point the Nets need to make sure he is right for the playoffs, so they should be resting him as much as they need to (and manage his minutes the rest of the way).

But if you wonder how much they will miss him, watch the end of their recent win over the Bucks. No word on now many games he might miss.

It’s interesting that Bondy notes reporters were told at shootaround nothing was wrong and Johnson would play, only to have the GM say something different on a radio interview. Not exactly a classy move, Nets.