Simmons pays instant dividends in return

Ben Simmons returned from a back injury that had him on the shelf since early November on Monday night, resulting in the Brooklyn Nets’ first back-to-back wins in over a month.

Simmons amassed a near triple-double with 10 points, eight rebounds and a game-high 11 assists in only 18 minutes off the bench as the Nets opened and closed with a flourish en route to a 147-114 victory over the Utah Jazz in front of 16,054 fans at Downtown’s Barclays Center.

Out since Nov. 6 with a nerve impingement in his back, Simmons came back in impressive fashion, knocking down all five of his field-goal attempts, grabbing five offensive boards, picking up a steal and blocking a shot.

He sparked a 43-28 outburst by Brooklyn in the opening quarter by handing out six helpers in just under five minutes after entering the contest.

The 6-foot-10 point guard finished with a plus-27 rating following the Nets’ 43-27 fourth-quarter outburst, helping his team complete consecutive wins for the first time since Dec. 23-26, when it swept a home-and-home from league-worst Detroit.

Limited to only 42 games since arriving in Brooklyn as part of the deadline deal that sent James Harden to Philadelphia in February 2022, Simmons has been plagued by knee and back issues as a Net after missing the 2021-22 campaign with mental-health concerns.

“We got the win, so yes,” Simmons pointed out when asked if his much-anticipated return was a successful one. “That’s the main objective for me, and that’s really all I care about.”

So do the Nets (19-27), who had lost 12 of 14 contests before their modest winning streak, which they can extend to three games Wednesday here vs. former teammate Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns.

Having Simmons, even in a reserve capacity, did wonders for Brooklyn’s offensive flow.

“Just pushing the pace,” Simmons…