Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons won't be suiting up against the Chicago Bulls at Wells Fargo Center on Friday, the team confirmed just hours before tip-off. ESPN's Cassidy Hubbarth revealed that the Sixers point-forward is still out with an unspecified illness.
Ben Simmons is officially OUT with an illness tonight against the Bulls per the SIXERS
— Cassidy Hubbarth (@CassidyHubbarth) February 19, 2021
This marks Simmons' second-missed game in a row due to the same reason, as he also did not play in Philly's 118-113 home win over the Houston Rockets in their last outing.
This is the 2nd straight game Ben is OUT with an illness. Doc Rivers said he was also dealing with it during his career high 42 pt night on Monday against the Jazz.
— Cassidy Hubbarth (@CassidyHubbarth) February 19, 2021
Ben Simmons played his best game of the season in his last outing, exploding for a career-high 42 points on 15-of-26 shooting along with 12 assists and nine rebounds against the Utah Jazz. This is a great development for the two-time All-Star considering the rough start he had to the campaign following endless trade rumors. He's been playing great basketball for the Sixers as of late, norming 15.2 points on 56.2 percent shooting from the field, 8.3 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.7 steals.
The Sixers still lord atop the Eastern Conference Standings with a 19-10 slate, thanks in large part to the MVP-worthy play of superstar Joel Embiid. With Simmons starting to find his groove again, the Doc Rivers-mentored team has looked like a well-oiled machine. Embiid has been named the starting center for the Eastern Conference All-Star team, while Simmons will likely make the reserves for the third year in a row.
Even without the 24-year-old facilitator in the line-up, the Sixers likely still won't have much trouble against the lowly Bulls, who went 5-5 in their last 10 outings. It is worth noting, though, that Zach LaVine and company carry a bit of momentum winning their last two games.
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