Ben Simmons: “I Got a Lot of Love for Philadelphia and the Fans”

The Philadelphia 76ers completely redeemed themselves for a shocking defeat in the first game of the series against the Nets. They demolished D’Angelo Russell and his Brooklyn in Game 2 with 145-123.

This is the franchise record for the 76ers when it comes to postseason efficiency. But what is essential for them is the victory against the nasty Nets.

After booes at the end of Game 1, the 76ers were determined to bounce back and deliver a good performance to their supporters, and in some way apologize for an awful start of the series.

The guy who was hurt the most following the opening night was Ben Simmons. That is why the still reigning Rookie of the Year came back roaring into this contest, posting his second postseason triple-double.

“I got a lot of love for this city and the fans here. Every time I step on the floor I try and play as hard as I can.” Simmons said.”I was just showing that.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPYBzJ30F_4

And Ben did show that, in the best possible way. He posted 18 points, shooting 8 of 12, had 12 dimes and 10 boards, restraining D’Angelo Russell.

Simmons was all around the court. He was in charge not only for the energy on the floor, but in the arena as well, because he often communicated with the crowd, asking them to be louder and louder.

After the criticism he shot in their way following the first game, the Aussie was determined to settle things down. After all, he is their No.1 favorite, with all due respect to Joel Embiid and the rest of the guys. And that means a lot for the All-Star point guard.

“The hustle I try to give each and every game is not only for my teammates and my family, it’s for this city,” the 22-year old explained after the match.

While everybody emphasized Simmons’ triple-double and statistics, both coaches agreed on the fact that his biggest contribution was, in fact, in defense, where he stopped Russell.

“The fact that he had 10 rebounds, 12 assists, 18 points was fantastic, but I thought that his defensive effort on D’Angelo (Russell) was spectacular. His aggression, especially,” said Brett Brown, while on the other side, Kenny Atkinson praised his athleticism and the energy he delivered on the defensive side of the court.

Even though he was the absolute star in this contest, Simmons wasn’t fully pleased the way he played, saying that he had several turnovers. Besides that, he reminded everyone that this is just one win, and that nobody should get carried away.

“I think I had too many turnovers, I was aggressive. I just tried to play the game the right way – I think I delivered but at the same time we’ve still got a few more games, it’s only one game.”

The 76ers came into this game fired up and outscored the guests in the first period 34-28, but seemed to lost the juice in the second period, when Nets responded. The result at the halftime was 65-64 for the hosts, and everything indicated that this might be another tight playoff game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5eBpsKDpB4

But the fantastic energy 76ers brought in at the start of the second half was just too much for the guests. A 14-0 run which extended to 23-4 eventually, completely killed the guest’s morale. During that stretch, Simmons had 5 assists, while Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris added 25 points combined.

The Sixers were 18 of 25 from the field and 11 of 11 from the free throw line. That period ended with Philly dropping 51 points, which tied the NBA playoff record, held by the Lakers since 1962.

“The intensity. They did a fantastic job. They got into us. I would classify as extreme physicality. Denied us. Held us. Pushed us,” Nets’ coach Kenny Atkinson explained the way he saw that third quarter.

The result in the series is tied now, and the guests put a lot of hope in their Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Nets were out of the playoffs for a long time, and the fans are eager to see some action, and wins also.

For the Sixers and Simmons, this will be a true test, to see where they stand now, and can they be consistent with playing at a high level.

Game 3 is scheduled for Friday.