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Every time a player is fuelled with motivation through anger, tune into the game because you are likely to witness a classic performance. Philadelphia 76ers rookie Ben Simmons had that Wednesday night and that fuel was diesel on a full tank, loaded up on a 4×4 truck in the form of the Sixers point-forward.
Against the visiting Chicago Bulls, the versatile rookie led the Sixers to a 115-101 win and racked up another triple-double – his fifth of the season – pouring in 19 points, seven rebounds, and 14 assists. Simmons carved up the opponents with ease, and he locked the feat by the opening minute of the third quarter.
What’s he mad about? The snub in the All-Star game. His teammate, Joel Embiid, will be a starter, while he wasn’t even selected to be a reserve.
With his stat-stuffing tendencies – 16.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game – there’s a part where he can argue his case, but with the amount of talent he’s competing against, it’s also understandable why he got passed on.
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Still, it’s obvious that Simmons was driven by the fact that he got left out of a spot. The performance was a breakout from a recent string of quiet games, and it’s among the best of his career.
News.com.au quoted their fellow Aussie in getting disappointed about the All-Star snub:
“Things happen; they happen for a reason. I wish I did make it but it’s hopefully going to be plenty more years.”
Simmons, however, was ecstatic that he'll share the court with two of his Sixers teammates – Embiid and Dario Saric – in the All-Star weekend's Rising Stars event.
“It’s an honour. I’m blessed to be in that position and I’m glad that Dario and Joel could be with me.”
Following the win over the Bulls, the Sixers are now 23-21, good for eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. Philadelphia's young trio will be in for a tough road in maintaining the team's playoff spot, as they will be fighting for position against veteran squads.
