Nets affected by nearby subway tragedy

It was a tense and chaotic scene outside the Nets practice on the edge of Sunset Park Tuesday morning after a gunman opened fire in a Manhattan-bound N train as it pulled into the 36th Street station.

Many of the players were still on the way to the facility, which is about five blocks from the subway station, when the mayhem started at around 8:30 a.m. Traffic was snarled as police converged on the area and the constant buzz of helicopters could be heard as the search ensued for the suspect, who still has not been captured.

The Nets were holding a brief morning practice before Tuesday’s play-in game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team’s security informed coach Steve Nash of the shooting, a half-hour or so before practice. Because so many players were already there or en route, no thought was given to canceling it.

“Clearly our community was affected this morning in a tragic and unfortunate, senseless way,” Nash said. “That’s the subway stop for our practice facility and for our office.

“My kids go to school not exceedingly far from there. So it does hit home. You just feel for everyone in our community that has been affected.”

Though few players, if any, are in the habit of taking the subway to the facility, it is used by a number of the Nets' staff.

Kevin Durant said he got a text on his way to the facility that there was heavy traffic, but he didn’t know the reason why until he got inside the building.

“I hate violence. I hate senseless violence,” he said. “Hopefully we can figure out the details and get everybody to safety and the help they need.”

Notes & quotes: Nash shut down an online report that Ben Simmons, who has a sore back, was slated to return for Game 3 of a first-round series if the Nets make it to the first round. “I don’t know where these reports come from," Nash said. "We have no update on the timetable, so I don’t think that came from us.” When asked if Simmons was running, Nash said, “I wouldn’t say he’s doing wind sprints or things like that.”

By Barbara Barker

barbara.barker@newsday.commeanbarb

Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.