Ben Simmons drops historic triple-double to lead 76ers past Nets
The Brooklyn Nets had no answer for Ben Simmons on Monday afternoon.
The 76ers star was nearly unstoppable, posting a triple-double while leading Philadelphia to a 117-111 win at the Barclays Center, its fourth straight win. Simmons tied his career-high with 34 points while adding 12 rebounds and 12 assists, notching his fourth triple-double of the year. He also had five steals on the day to complete the impressive stat line — which was the first of its kind since steals were first recorded during the 1973-74 season.
Simmons shot an impressive 12-of-14 from the field, too, in what was his fifth straight game with at least 20 points.
Ben Simmons today at Nets:
- 34 pts
- 12 reb
- 12 ast
- 5 stl
- 12-14 FG
He is the first player in NBA history to have a 30-point triple-double with 5 steals and an 80% shooting percentage in the same game (via @EliasSports). pic.twitter.com/L1PYhZF0Ak— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 20, 2020
“Ben was ridiculously dominant tonight,” 76ers coach Brett Brown said, via Rich Hofmann of The Athletic. “He played some 4, I played him at the 5, he had the ball. He was just multi-skilled, used all over the place in multiple positions, ball-handler, screen setter, post target. He’s on the 5 man defensively. He was incredible.”
While Brooklyn couldn’t stop Simmons, they did send the game right down to the wire.
Philadelphia, after falling into a 12-point hole midway through the game, rallied back to retake the lead early in the fourth quarter after closing out the third on an 8-0 run. Though the Nets hung around late in the final period, five quick points from Al Horford paired with a 3-pointer from Furkan Korkmaz with just 24 second left pushed the 76ers to the six-point win.
Spencer Dinwiddie led Brooklyn with 22 points and seven assists. Caris LeVert added 16 points off the bench, and Nicholas Claxton finished with 15 points. Nets guard Kyrie Irving did not play in the game while dealing with tightness in his right hamstring, and even compared the criticism that he’s received this season while dealing with injuries to the criticism that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. received during the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. The loss marked the fourth straight defeat for the Nets, too, and their 11th in 13 games.
Horford added 19 points and six rebounds in the win for Philadelphia, shooting 9-of-15 while filling in for Joel Embiid in the starting lineup, who underwent surgery on his left hand earlier this month. Both Josh Richardson and Tobias Harris finished with 15 points, too.
Two wins on the road in a row.
After Ben Simmons dazzled with a 34-point triple-double, he and Matisse Thybulle caught up with our @SerenaWinters to talk about the victory. pic.twitter.com/Dc1XlTPwse— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) January 20, 2020
“I’m just trying to win,” Simmons said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I know Joel is out, so a lot of guys had to step up. I took a lot of responsibility tonight just being a leader, and offensively I’ve got to pick it up. So I’m glad we got this one.”
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