“His winning formula is amazing”

As Friday night’s game between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers continued, Ben Simmons was nowhere to be seen. Over the course of three quarters, Simmons had eight assists but only four points on just three shots, and appeared well on his way to a fifth straight game with single-digit shooting attempts in the continuation of what has been a quiet start to this season.

But then, when Boston reduced Philadelphia’s lead to four in the middle of the fourth quarter, and threatened to steal the second half of that two-game series between those rivals, Simmons burst onto the scene.

He fought in the offensive cup to score his own foul. He attacked the lane towards an i-1 bucket. He took a pass to the open court, one that he took the other way to dive into, and was immediately followed by a timeout from Celtics coach Brad Stevens.

In the span of 36 seconds, the game went from being a throw to one that would clearly end in a Sixers victory. This stretch, the key segment of Philadelphia’s 122-110 victory, was reminiscent of the impact Simmons can have, and that such moments have not been presented so often to begin this season.

“He’s been fine,” Simmons said after finishing with 15 points (11 in the fourth quarter) and 11 assists, when asked how he felt this season and if he has heard criticism of his start. “It’s a new season. I’m just dedicated to winning and doing what I can to win with this team. I think it’s been good.

“I’m not going to Instagram, I’m not going to Twitter, so I can’t answer the questions in terms of what people are saying, because I don’t give a f —, honestly. But unless [head coach] Doc [Rivers] is saying something or [assistant coach] Sam [Cassell], or people come to me, it’s a different story.

“But I try to win games, and that’s why we’re all here to win.”

It’s been a weird start to the season for the Sixers. They have the best record in the Eastern Conference, between 11 and 5, but they have met a smooth schedule before the last two weeks. The Sixers have first consumed players who have disappeared due to NBA safety and health protocols, followed by four games against the Miami Heat and Celtics teams that sold out for the same reason.

Joel Embiid has undoubtedly been the NBA MVP for the first month of the season and followed his 42-point performance on Wednesday with a 38-point explosion on Friday night, scoring for throwing again to the Celtics’ Marcus Smart for being frustrated by his tie in Wednesday night’s game.

“I knew getting into the game, after complaining, I knew the trade would be a little tight for us, and I guess better for them,” Embiid said after receiving 15 free throws Friday night, in compared to 21 in Wednesday’s win.

Meanwhile, Tobias Harris has once again resembled the player he was when he played for Rivers with the LA Clippers: what the Sixers paid a high price to change two years ago and then paid $ 180 million in five years to retain. lo as a free agent. Harris shot 10-for-12 and scored 23 points on Friday, after scoring 22 points on Wednesday. And the moves the Sixers have made to better balance the roster, changing Al Horford and Josh Richardson for Danny Green and Seth Curry, respectively, have worked as well as they might have expected.

But for this team to be the championship candidate it aspires to be, the Sixers need the version of Simmons that took over during this 36-second stretch in the fourth quarter, a version that those watching the Sixers have been waiting to see emerge. more often than he has done.

Much has been done of Simmons’ shot – or his lack – from 3 points away. But what stood out from the plays he made in the fourth quarter was his aggression. In nine of his 14 games this season, Simmons has not made 10 shots, and his points per game, shots per game, field goal percentage and usage percentage have dropped this season.

Still, he said he was very happy with his role.

“Yes, [I am]”, He said.” It is unique and different. There aren’t too many guys capable of doing what I do. I’m getting to the edge, scoring, bouncing and facilitating, and then defending stops. There aren’t too many players in the NBA who do. It is rare.

“So I will continue to grow my game and improve my team. But ultimately I just want to win. And yet I have to do it, either with 10 steals and no points, no rebounds and 50 assists, whatever it is, I will. “

No one would argue that Simmons’ skill is uncommon. He is quoted at 6 feet 11 and 240 pounds, though he is often the fastest and best player on the court, not to mention being able to protect virtually no one, as he did on Friday when switching between the small and broken Kemba. Walker and Jaylen Brown, one of the most athletic athlete players in the league.

But it is precisely because he has so many skills at his disposal that he causes so much attention in his work when he does not produce the kind of impact he had on Friday night in the fourth quarter. Simmons ’quiet nights offensively this season have been noticed by opposing scouts, and it’s been enough that it’s been a regular topic of discussion that Rivers has had to address on several occasions this season, mostly because Simmons’ potential is the central piece of a James Harden trade hung from the franchise.

“He didn’t do it until the end of the game tonight, but he was already playing really well,” Rivers said. “And that’s the point I’m trying to get to everyone. He’s doing so many things for this team. His winning formula is amazing in all things. Last night he had no credit.

“It was so important why we won this game with all the things he’s doing, the small cuts, the small selections of the back, the rolls and the passes. in one thing. just scoring, it’s too good for that. It would be a loss if we focused on that alone. “

For the Sixers to leave the Eastern Conference, however, they will need it. The Celtics have fallen short in both games this week, but have been competitive with Jayson Tatum sitting due to safety and health protocols and with Kemba Walker still playing with a minute limit. The Milwaukee Bucks still have Giannis Antetokounmpo, the league’s double vice president, along with stars Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday. The Miami Heat have almost their entire team behind the group that won the East last year.

Oh, and then there’s that Interstate 95 team in Brooklyn that switched to Harden last week and already had Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at its disposal.

Still, there is plenty of time to prepare these Sixers and there is reason for optimism. Embiid and Simmons spoke Friday about their growing relationship on the track. The fact that Harden has been traded and that the potential to come to Philadelphia has disappeared, eliminates another distraction. And now that they finally have their full complement of players again, after recovering Curry on Friday night, Embiid spoke after the game about the Sixers ’desire to win a streak of victories.

Still, the chances of that happening will only grow if Simmons manages to make a series of games full of stretches like that 36-second period that consolidated Friday’s game result.

“I love playing with him,” Embiid said. “This fourth quarter starts at the defensive end, and he was a monster. He got a lot of steals and, in midfield, he attacked, he was aggressive and he played, he scored a couple of baskets.

“It was huge tonight. It was huge tonight.”