Ben Simmons hit his first triple-double with the Brooklyn Nets regardless that the workforce fell to the San Antonio Spurs on the street Wednesday 106-98 (all occasions EST).
Simmons completed with a really effectively rounded streak with 10 factors, 10 rebounds and 11 assists to go together with 4 steals and two blocks in 34 minutes – considered one of three Nets gamers to complete with a optimistic plus – capturing 4-of-10 from the sphere and 2-of-2 from free lime .
It additionally marked the Australian’s first triple-double since June 2nd, 2021 when he was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers and moved him to the twelfth all-time triple-double in NBA historical past.
Watch a mean of 9 LIVE NBA Common Season video games per week on ESPN on Kayo Sports activities on ESPN on Kayo Sports activities. New to Kayo? Begin your free trial now>
The Nets performed with out each Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving – though it was a brief stint with out Simmons who did them as they misplaced to the Woebegone Spurs earlier than a crowd of 13,532 on the AT&T Heart.
Keldon Johnson, who scored 36 factors within the sport, lighted the web (27-16), who has been 0-3 since Durant went down with a twisted proper MCL on January 8. With ache in the precise calf.
That left Simmons because the final man standing of the All-Star Massive 3 workforce. A drought within the third quarter throughout which Simmons was on the bench with foul points proved troublesome to cope with.
TJ Warren scored 19 factors off the bench to prepared the ground. Seth Curry began instead of Irving and scored a modest 16 factors, with Nick Claxton and Cam Thomas every trailing by some extent.
However when Simmons made his fourth foul with a career-high 58 factors with 7:47 left within the third interval, the Spurs instantly took a 6-0 lead.
He didn’t return for the remainder of the interval because the spherical reached 18-10. The Nets trailed 76-68 going into the fourth quarter, and by no means obtained near 4 the remainder of the evening.
That is towards San Antonio Regrets (14-31), who’ve put up an amazing defensive resistance this season like moist tissue – one layer. It was as horrible a technique to pull off a five-game street swing as you would presumably think about.
Whereas Durant is not anticipated to be re-evaluated till early subsequent week, the Nets anticipate Irving to be again in motion on Friday in Phoenix.
“He simply reported just a little malaise. So it is mainly simply day-to-day. Nets coach Jack Vaughn mentioned of Irving, who hasn’t had an MRI check, and must be able to tackle the solar.” Yeah, I hope so. That is positively the hope, day after day, get some remedy, and I hope you are able to tackle Phoenix, yeah.”
After the Nets obtained to the board first on a Simmons hook, they allowed 10 unanswered factors, capped by Jeremy Cochan’s three-point sport. They trailed 27-15 after a depressing first quarter.
The Nets confronted 4 completely different 14-point deficits, the final of which after a shutout by Trey Jones made it 31-17 Spurs with 9:56 left within the half.
Then the Nets briefly settled down and eventually obtained prepared for offense towards one of many worst defensive groups within the league. They tallied 10 unanswered factors led by a bench drive, Warren’s mid-range sport and Edmund Sumner’s tempo. Warren capped off the surge with a 16-foot draw from Simmons’ assist, pulling the web to inside 31-27.
The deficit was nonetheless 42-38 after a free throw by Jeremy Suchan. Markiff missed Morris, who ought to have damaged away from him moments earlier. However the Nets went 11-2 to tug forward.
Thomas’ finger roll put the lead up 49-44 with 2:55 left within the half, and the rating was sophisticated by a 51-51 header within the locker room.
He was nonetheless tied, at 58-58, when Simmons went to the bench on his fourth error. That is when the Spurs scored six unanswered factors and the Nets by no means obtained nearer than 82-78, on a Curry 3-pointer, the remainder of the night.
-This text is on behalf of First printed within the New York Publish Reproduced with permission