New season, same old Ben Simmons. The Philadelphia 76ers’ star point-forward recorded a triple-double Thursday night against the Chicago Bulls at home, finishing with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in the Sixers’ 127-108 win. According to the Associated Press (h/t NJ.com), Simmons became the first player in Sixers’ franchise history to record a triple-double in a home opener. The 2017-18 NBA Rookie of the Year winner now has 13 triple-doubles in his young career. After getting blown out on opening night to the Boston Celtics, Ben Simmons and the Sixers rebounded nicely with a easy victory over the lowly Bulls. Simmons shot 5-of-8 from the field, 3-of-3 from the free-throw line, and was in command of the game from start to finish. Simmons averaged 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game during his rookie season. He shot 54.5 percent from the field, and registered 38 double-doubles and 12 triple-doubles. The 2016 No. 1 overall pick did all of his damage in the paint last year. Simmons’ 12.7 points in the paint per game ranked fourth behind Giannis Antetokounmpo’s average of 15.7, Anthony Davis’ 15.4, and LeBron James’ 14.4. The Sixers have such a bright future with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid leading the way. Now that LeBron James is in the Western Conference, the East is wide-open, and the Sixers are expected to be a top three team in the conference.<doc-sep>Ben Simmons finished his first game of the 2018-19 NBA season with 19 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists, four steals and two blocks. Yeah, the 76ers got whooped by the Celtics in the season opener, 105-87, but Simmons’ performance was a reminder just how dominant and transcendent a talent he projects to be for the rest of his career. Simmons was so good and impacted so many areas of the game that it’s easy to wonder: Can he be the next player after Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook to average a triple double for an entire season. After what we saw from the Sixers’ young star on Tuesday night, it’s entirely possible, so long as certain things go his way. Scoring Can’t average a triple double without at least 10 points, and that shouldn’t be a problem for Simmons, who can get to the rim virtually whenever he wants. Much like with LeBron James, Simmons is so powerful on the break that there aren’t very many things a defender can do to slow him down. Even if teams throw two defenders at him, he’s liable to split that double team, then throw it down at the rim. He still has limitations in his game. Shooting jumpers isn’t a thing yet, and defenders will sag off him until he earns their respect from beyond 15 feet. But if Simmons wants to average a triple double this season, scoring should be the least of his worries. Rebounding This one is a little tricky. Simmons snagged 15 boards in the first game of the season, but how likely is he to continue ripping rebounds from the sky when he shares the floor with Joel Embiid, another ruthless rebounder who finished with 10? Actually, there are only a handful of teams in recent memory we found that had two players to average double-digit rebounding on the same teams. Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins were on pace to do so last season before Boogie’s torn Achilles sidelined him for the season. The most comparable to Simmons and Embid? The 1996-97 Rockets that had Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley on the floor at the same time. Some other examples. 1984-85 and 1985-86 76ers: Charles Barkley and Moses Malone 1993-94 and 1994-95 Spurs: Dennis Rodman and David Robinson 2011-12 Lakers: Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol 2014-15 Pistons: Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe Other notable double-digit rebounding duos include Robert Parish and Larry Bird; Antonio McDyess and Danny Fortson; rookie Tim Duncan and David Robinson; Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley; Vlade Divac and Chris Webber; Otis Thorpe and Hakeem Olajuwon; Dikembe Mutombo and Greg “Cadillac” Anderson; Karl Malone and Mark Eaton; Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson; Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon; Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes; and Bill Walton and Maurice Lucas. That’s 17 right off the bat, and we havent’t even finished our search. Damn that’s a lot more than we thought. There were even instances of teams with three (St. Louis Hawks) and four (San Diego Rockets) double-digit rebounders both back in the 1967-68 season. What kind of cheat code were those guys playing with? Still, these are only a limited number of instances among an infinite number of NBA player combinations. A set of two double-figure rebounders on one team is rare. If Simmons is going to average a triple double, he and Embiid will have to join this list of teammates to average 10+ boards. Assisting Simmons was only two assists shy of recording a triple double in the season opener, and that’s an impressive total against a stingy Celtics defense. Need another impressive number? I’ve got you covered. Simmons passed the ball 88 times on Tuesday night, according to Second Spectrum data provided by NBA.com. That’s significantly more passes than Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry, Dennis Schroder and Draymond Green — and rightfully so. But even more impressive were the number of potential assists. Second Spectrum tabbed 27 of Simmons’ 88 passes as ones that could have led to a scoring opportunity. TWENTY-SEVEN POTENTIAL ASSISTS. (For reference, Russell Westbrook led the league last year with an average of just over 20 potential assists per game). Unfortunately for Simmons, his teammates shot 5-of-26 (19.2 percent) from three-point range and just 39 percent from the field as altogether. The Sixers also missed Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala to injury, two shot-makers they’ll welcome back with open arms. Against teams that aren’t as defensively sound as Boston, Simmons shouldn’t have an issue picking up double-figure assists. Triple doubles are rare. Only the best can pull one off in a game, and only two in basketball history — Robertson and Westbrook — have averaged one over an entire NBA season. Simmons has a chance to join that group. The scoring and rebounding, he can control. The assists? Well, as long as Philly doesn’t shoot 19 percent from three all season, Simmons has as good a chance as anyone.<doc-sep>Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Markelle Fultz heard 20,000 Philadelphia 76ers fans exhort him to shoot each time he touched the ball, a roaring confidence boost for a No. 1 pick closer to a bust than brilliance. Fultz had the look he wanted in the second quarter. He dribbled to the foul line without a defender in his path, pulled up and uncorked a jumper. The ball rattled around the rim before it fluttered through the net. Sixers fans rose to their feet, erupted in cheers and chanted “Fultz! Fultz! Fultz!” Watch it now in slow motion, in all its beauty. pic.twitter.com/cQl126BDnl — NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) October 19, 2018 Yes, a simple jumpshot from the top pick of the 2017 draft in the second game of the season was enough to get a rise out of the fans – and a sigh of relief from Fultz. “It makes me feel better for the whole crowd to feel as good as I want to,” Fultz said. The curious case of Fultz’s missing jumper continued against the Bulls when one of the more scrutinized players in the NBA managed to steal the spotlight from his more accomplished teammates with routine – yet highlight-reel worthy – baskets. Until he gets his shot right, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid will continue to lead the Sixers. Simmons had a triple-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists and Embiid had 30 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers past the Chicago Bulls 127-108 on Thursday night. Fultz scored 12 points on 5 of 15 shooting, the most shots taken by a Sixer. “He shot it to mean it,” coach Brett Brown said. “He didn’t look afraid of anything. He missed the shots but they looked good.” Fultz is coming off a miserable rookie season that was shortened because of a right shoulder injury, a broken shot and busted confidence. Even his personal shooting coach said Fultz suffered from the “yips,” an assertion shot down on media day by the second-year guard. Fultz simply blamed his lost season on the injury. Brown tried to give Fultz a confidence boost by putting him in the starting lineup – yet has benched him for the start of the second half. Fultz was 1 of 6 in 15 minutes in the first half and didn’t play again until late in the third and the Sixers leading by 88-68. “The challenge is to grow him and help us win the game,” Brown said. “There’s no book that tells you how to do that, so you’re going to have to figure some stuff out. There will be some pain along the way and some positives.” With or without Fultz, the 76ers had plenty of positives after an opening-night disaster in Boston. Simmons reached a triple-double with 2:34 left in the third, the 13th of his career and the first Sixer to ever get one in the home opener. Sixers fans chanted “Trust the Process!” when Embiid ended the third with free throws. Fultz proved a long-range ace again in the fourth – this time with a 3! He drained his first career 3-pointer for a 108-88 lead and the Philly fans that are firmly perched in his corner went wild and again chanted his name. The Sixers know that if they want to become legitimate Eastern Conference contenders, Fultz will have to become the star they envisioned when they drafted him. “I’m never afraid,” Fultz said. “I worked hard this summer. Tonight, I didn’t make a lot of them, but I’m going to keep shooting them. If I see an open shot, I’m going to go shoot it.” He didn’t even mind when Chicago’s defense sagged off him, daring him to take shots. The Bulls, not expected to win much in the East, scored a combined 35 points in the second and third quarters. Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 30 points in their season opener. “When we started missing shots, we stopped guarding and rebounding,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports<doc-sep>Ben Simmons made a first-quarter exit due to back tightness before his Philadelphia 76ers eked out a one-point NBA victory over the Orlando Magic. The Australian star played just eight minutes, notching four points and four assists before he was withdrawn and played no further part in Sunday's 116-115 win for the hosts. Concern: Ben Simmons, seen here warming up before today's game, sustained a back problem in the first quarter. Credit:PA Coach Brett Brown indicated immediately after the match the move was precautionary and he did not believe Simmons had a major issue. "I don’t believe it’s serious," Brown said.<doc-sep>
Ben Simmons had a triple-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists and Joel Embiid had 30 points and 12 rebounds in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 127-108 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night. Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 30 points in their season opener. The curious case of Markelle Fultz continued when one of the more scrutinized players in the NBA managed to steal the spotlight from his more accomplished teammate with simple jumpers. Fultz had open looks early and 76ers fans exhorted him to “Shoot! Shoot!” each time he touched the ball as the second-year guard tries to overcome his aversion to jumpers. He found the look he wanted 3 minutes into the second quarter. Fultz dribbled to the foul line and hit an uncontested pull-up jumper, the ball rattling around the rim four times before it plopped through the net for two points. Fans erupted in cheers as they gave him a standing ovation and chanted “Fultz! Fultz! Fultz!” Fultz was 1 of 6 in 15 minutes in the first half and didn’t play again until late in the third and the Sixers leading by 88-68. Heat 113, at Wizards 112: Kelly Olynyk’s putback of Dwyane Wade’s missed jumper produced the go-ahead basket with 0.2 seconds left, lifting Miami past Washington. Josh Richardson led Miami with 28 points, Rodney McGruder added 20, and the Heat hit consecutive 3s late in the fourth quarter. With Washington center Dwight Howard sidelined by a sore backside, the Wizards were led by old standby John Wall, who delivered 26 points and nine assists. He and fellow All-Star guard Bradley Beal, who scored 20 points, accounted for Washington’s last eight points. But with a 112-111 lead, Wall missed a 26-foot pull-up jumper, giving Miami a chance. Wade’s shot with about 3 seconds left was off the mark, and Olynyk grabbed the rebound and his layup won it.