We cannot speak of a “standing ovation”, but the Barclays Center saluted Ben Simmons. After 38 games of absence due to his back problems, the Australian returned last night at the heart of the Nets' big victory against the Jazz (147-114). He entered after about six minutes of play. And his impact was instantaneous.
“ It always ends in a counter-attack when I have the ball “, he smiles after the meeting on this first ball recovered in defense, just a few seconds after his entry, which allowed him to find Royce O'Neale at 3-points in transition. On the next possession, he signed a second assist by volleying an offensive rebound towards Cam Thomas.
When he arrived on the floor, Brooklyn only had a two-point lead (16-14). Six minutes later, with the multiplication of balls distributed by the ghost, the Nets were already ahead of the score (43-28). Alongside scorers Mikal Bridges (33 points) and Cam Thomas (25), Ben Simmons fit in perfectly and had a considerable impact on offense and defense.
His discipline paid off
“ The others played so well tonight thanks to the impact of Ben Simmons. It's simple, the shots we had this evening, the number of 3-point shots, the points on the counterattack, the uncontested shots, our rhythm… Against a team in great shape, 120 points on the Last 11 games, we've been good on both ends of the pitch and Ben should really be congratulated on the way he played tonight “, ignites his coach Jacque Vaughnwhose team led comfortably at the break (71-57).
The left-handed, who says he played on instinct and with his heart, came close to a triple-double in just 18 minutes of play: 10 points (5/5 on shots), 11 assists and 8 rebounds. And above all a +27 in the score when he was in play. “ I believe his passing ability is something that elevates this team consistently », Judge Lonnie Walker IV (19 points) about the altruism of the player who is regularly criticized for not looking enough at the circle.
“ Some guys know what it's like to play with me and where the shots are going to come from. It's easy for them. It's simply a story of sharing the ball and playing correctly “, complete Simmonsby adding : ” People don't see the work being done, what's happening behind the scenes. It took a lot of time and effort to get to where I am now. Every day, every morning, I work to be back on the floor. It's not online, you don't see it. It's great to see that my discipline over the last two months has paid off. »
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– An offensive card. The Nets had never scored so many points this season, nor so many at home (excluding overtime) in their history. 41 assists (also season record) for 50 baskets scored and only 8 lost balls, 21/45 at 3-points, 43 points scored in the first then fourth quarter… The Nets exploded the Jazz defense like Pelicans who, a week ago, had already spent 153 units in the same formation.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.