NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Joe Johnson missed Tuesday night's game against the New Orleans Hornets because of a sore left heel. C.J. Watson started in his place.
With four days before their next game against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night, the Nets essentially are giving Johnson five days to rest his heel and get better.
"We're just concerned with the four (games) in five (days) and a little bit of the mentality that we had going to the All-Star break," Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "You have four days (off), so you're tempted to say we hold him out one more it'll give him five days to get healthy."
Johnson missed three games because of the sore left heel before returning for the team's last six. During that span, he averaged 13 points on 47.1 percent shooting in 33.6 minutes.
He had 20 points in 37 minutes on 8-of-11 shooting in Monday night's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Johnson had hoped the injury wouldn't linger on when he returned, but it has.
In 61 games, the 31-year-old veteran is averaging 16.6 points on 42.7 percent shooting.