Sixers news: Ben Simmons criticism has Doc Rivers furious after Game 1

The Sixers won Game 1 and Ben Simmons drew some wild criticism for scoring only six points. Don't worry, Doc Rivers stood up for his point guard.

The Philadelphia 76ers snagged the top seed in the Eastern Conference and drew a first-round matchup with the Washington Wizards. The Sixers came into Game 1 and walked away with a 125-118 victory. However, Ben Simmons drew some heat for posting a stat line of six points with 15 boards and 15 assists. Doc Rivers, as candid as always, stood up for his point guard.

#Sixers coach Doc Rivers on criticism of Ben Simmons for having just 6 points with 15 assists & 15 rebounds: 'If (people) don't know what we have (in Simmons), then shame on everyone.'

— Tom Moore (@TomMoorePhilly) May 25, 2021

It appears that the fact Simmons only had six points is the reason for his criticism. On the other hand, the Sixers won the game and Simmons frustrated Bradley Beal all day long as he continues to show why he was named as a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year. Beal finished with a team-high 33 points, but Simmons locked him down when he was assigned to Beal.

Bradley Beal shot 1-6 with 3 turnovers when guarded by Ben Simmons on Sunday.

— Kevin McCormick (@KevinMcCNBA) May 24, 2021

Also, Simmons' 15 rebounds and 15 assists in Game 1 put him in the record books with some rather impressive names, eluding to Rivers' point of him being a huge contributor despite not being a big scorer.

Ben Simmons (15 REB, 15 AST today) became the 6th player to reach those thresholds in an #NBAPlayoffs game, joining LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Fat Lever, Magic Johnson and Wilt Chamberlain. pic.twitter.com/PIOoNPHEb4

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) May 24, 2021

Those are some big-time names to be next to in a record book. Simmons has enjoyed arguably his best season as a pro since being drafted 1st overall out of LSU. He finished the regular season averaging 14.3 points with 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists with 1.6 steals per game for the Sixers. His nomination for Defensive Player of the Year shows that he has buckled in on that end, something that Rivers loves to see.

Nonetheless, if the Sixers want to make a run at an Eastern Conference title and a trip to the NBA Finals, Simmons will need to be a huge contributor alongside Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris.