Simmons’ clutch play helps 76ers topple pesky Knicks
BEN Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers survived a scare in the Big Apple as they escaped with the 101-95 win over the New York Knicks.
The lowly Knicks jumped their Eastern Conference rivals and held a 12-point lead at the half before the 76ers got their act together and clawed back the lead.
But it was Simmons who came up with the game-sealing play with less than 90 seconds to play in the game.
Holding a slender five-point lead and the Knicks inbounding the ball, Simmons inserted himself and stole the inbounds pass before streaking away and slamming it home to wrap up proceedings.
Fans love to clip Simmons for his lack of a jump shot outside of touching distance of the basket, but what often gets overlooked by the majority is his stellar play at the other end of the court.
What a play by Ben Simmons to get his long arm in front of RJ Barrett and get in for the dunk to put Philly up 7 on the Knicks with 1:15 left. pic.twitter.com/Etix7r9gTN
— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) November 30, 2019
His ability to be able to guard every player on the floor and do it at a high level is what opens up the rest of his game and gives the 76ers such potency on the defensive end.
On Saturday he showed off just a slither of how damaging he can be when the game is there to be won.
Ben Simmons doesn't get enough credit for how elite he is defensively. He was a total negative at LSU but has improved to become one of the best and most versatile defenders in the NBA. Also, his offensive production doesn't dictate his defensive effort or focus. He's consistent.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) November 30, 2019
Simmons finished the contest with 15 points, eight assists and five rebounds while fellow All-Star teammate Joel Embiid monstered the Knicks inside.
Embiid tallied 27 points, pulled down 17 rebounds and added three blocks in an impressive outing as Philly moved to 13-6 on the season to sit fifth in the Eastern Conference, behind the Boston Celtics (13-5), Miami Heat (13-5), Toronto Raptors (14-4) and Milwaukee Bucks (16-3).
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