PORTLAND, Ore. — Cam Johnson and D’Angelo Russell returned Tuesday night for the decimated Nets, though Nic Claxton got added to their long injury list.
Brooklyn had been winless in the five straight games that Johnson had missed with a right ankle sprain. Russell had sat out four in a row with a right shin contusion.
Both made their returns in the Nets’ 132-114 skid-busting win over the Trail Blazers, albeit on minutes limits.
Claxton (right hamstring) was held out Tuesday night, but head coach Jordi Fernandez said the Nets’ starting center just had tightness, not a significant pull.
Claxton told The Post he also was unsure if he will play Wednesday at the Clippers.
Johnson started and had a team-high 24 points. Russell added 13 points, nine assists and a game-high four steals in 21 minutes off the bench.
Asked if he could suit up on Wednesday in L.A., Russell — who had been questionable before the Blazers win — said “I’m fine. We’ve got the best training staff in the league, so I trust them with whatever direction they’re pointing me towards. And I’m alright.”
Ben Simmons started despite being questionable with a lower back injury management/left knee soreness.
He had five points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, but still has not been cleared for back-to-backs and will sit Wednesday night at the Clippers.
“The most important thing is everyone’s body and how they feel. And obviously we’ll be cautious with their minutes,” Fernandez said. “We want them to feel good, play well, have the appropriate load and then see how they feel, assess how their bodies are, and then we’ll go to the next day.
“So with Ben, we have a plan. Great to see that he played above 30 minutes. He feels good. … But again, we want to be cautious and obviously still follow our protocol with him not playing back-to-backs.”
The Nets’ 18-point margin was their largest of the season.
Brooklyn’s .544 percent shooting and 29 fast break points were season-highs. Their 132 points and 36 assists were their best in regulation this season.
Ziaire Williams had 13 points on 3-of-4 from deep, and his shooting touch is showing signs of coming around.
The forward is 17-of-39 — or 43.6 percent — from deep in his last seven game since returning from a dozen-game absence. He had been just 18-of-66 (27.3%) in his first 21.
Cam Thomas and Trendon Watford were out.
The NBA Lottery was set for May 12. Nets fans will be watching closely.
Players re-signed in the offseason — 1) using Bird or early-Bird rights to a deal 2) 20% bigger than their previous contract — are eligible to be traded starting Wednesday.
That applied to 17 players, including Claxton. More importantly, it opens up more players in any potential Johnson swap.
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