Ben Simmons goes on attack after half to lead Philadelphia 76ers in Game 3 rout

Philadelphia 76ers wing Ben Simmons had his fingers full on protection within the first half of Friday’s eventual 127-111 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Recreation 3 of the Japanese Convention semifinals. Attempting to maintain up with Hawks star Trae Younger is not any easy task.

However with the Sixers clinging to a five-point lead on the break, and Simmons scoring simply 4 factors as much as that time — matching his level complete from Recreation 2 — Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers challenged him to do extra.

“We simply thought he handed up too many alternatives — within the quick break, on the put up. And so we instructed him we had been going to come back out and have him on the put up,” Rivers stated of Simmons. “And he was nice for us. It’s precisely what we want. Together with his tempo and energy, it was nice.”

Simmons scored 11 of his 18 factors within the third and added three of his seven assists. Philadelphia, enjoying on the street, outscored Atlanta by 15 within the quarter, beginning off 8-for-8 as a crew after halftime. Simmons and fellow Sixers star Joel Embiid scored or assisted on 30 of Philly’s 34 factors within the interval.

“That was positively the quarter they had been capable of get their momentum and get separation,” stated Younger, who nonetheless scored a game-high 28 factors on 9-for-17 capturing and made eight assists.

Based on information compiled by ESPN Stats & Info, Simmons ended the sport guarding Younger 42 out of 85 performs.

“It’s exhausting when you consider what we’re asking Ben to do: comply with Trae Younger round, comply with him round screens and push the ball up the ground with tempo,” Rivers stated. “That’s all we talked about at halftime when one in all my coaches jogged my memory that he was guarding Trae after I was yelling at him about tempo.

“He stated, ‘He’s guarding Trae, too.’ So, it’s powerful. However he’s younger, he has endurance, so it’s been good for us.”

When requested afterward about Rivers’ halftime directive, Simmons tried to stifle a glad smile.

“I used to be simply attempting to push the tempo, get within the lanes, discover my guys and keep aggressive. Get to the rim,” he stated. “I feel I did an excellent job of that, that second half.”

It was Simmons’ first recreation since Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz was named Defensive Participant of the 12 months, however he appeared to shrug off his second-place end, a lot the identical approach Embiid breezed previous coming in second for MVP.

“Congrats to Rudy. I imply, it’s what it’s,” Simmons stated. “I’m probably not involved about particular person awards. I would like the championship. In order that’s my purpose. Actually, the purpose is rarely Defensive Participant of the 12 months. It’s simply to go on the market and do my job and attempt to be the perfect defender within the league, whatever the awards.

“However the final purpose is a championship. And that’s why I bought to do my job at a excessive degree.”

Embiid completed with 27 factors, 9 rebounds and eight assists, turning into simply the second 76ers participant in franchise historical past to common 35 factors and 10 rebounds over a three-game playoff span, after Wilt Chamberlain, in line with Elias Sports activities Bureau analysis.

Very like Rivers, Embiid inspired Simmons to take over due to the way in which Atlanta was shadowing him with Clint Capela all the way in which up the ground after which steadily sending double-teams in his route.

“I simply instructed him, ‘It’s essential to be aggressive and it’s essential to assault, as a result of there’s lots of house. Particularly with the way in which they’re guarding me,’” Embiid stated. “So I instructed him to simply be aggressive and simply go on the market and simply dominate.”

Simmons made certain Embiid stayed within the combine, in fact, discovering the All-Star large man with the prettiest play of the night time: an over-the-shoulder alley-oop he threw to a reducing Embiid halfway by the third quarter to place Philly up 16.

“We’ve been enjoying collectively for therefore lengthy that we all know one another,” Embiid stated. “He is aware of me, he is aware of the place I would like the ball and I additionally understand how I can get him open. So it was an excellent go, and I simply did my greatest to complete it.”