'Incredible' Simmons silences critics in Nets win

1 year ago 47

Royce O’Neale scored connected a tip-in with 0.7 seconds near to implicit a triple-double and springiness the Brooklyn Nets a 109-107 triumph implicit the Portland Trail Blazers.

Kevin Durant led the Nets with 35 points, and O’Neale had 11 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Yuta Watanabe added 20 points disconnected the seat and Ben Simmons scored a season-high 15 points earlier fouling retired with 24 seconds left.

“He was unthinkable tonight,” Durant said astir Simmons. “I thought helium did a bully occupation of commanding the offence, commanding the squad connected the antiaircraft broadside of the ball. He was capable to power the crippled and get america backmost into it.”

Said Simmons: “People marque it look similar I had a sprained ankle oregon something. I came backmost from backmost surgery, that’s not easy. I’m getting there.”

Damian Lillard had 25 points and 11 assists for Portland. The Blazers changeable lone 38.7 per cent from the field, including 29 per cent successful the 2nd half.

“We truly ne'er got a travel successful the 4th quarter,” Blazers manager Chauncey Billups said. “The extremity of the 3rd 4th truly wounded us. We had an 11-point pb with 2:40 to go, they spell connected a 14-0 tally that turned the tide connected us. From determination we were successful scramble mode.”

A three-pointer by Watanabe gave the Nets an 85-82 pb heading into the 4th quarter. Watanabe scored 11 of his points successful the third.

The Nets won a situation down 95-93 with 7:31 left. Durant’s handbasket aft the situation tied it astatine 95. After a brace of bare Portland possessions, Durant gave the Nets a 97-95 lead.

With 3:28 left, the Blazers began intentionally fouling Simmons. The vocation 59 per cent free-throw shooter knocked down 3 of his 4 escaped throws during the important bid to sphere a 103-99 pb for Brooklyn.

“We had nary doubts erstwhile helium went up there,” Durant said of the team’s assurance successful Simmons.

“I emotion those moments. I’m not going to shy away,” Simmons said. “That was their plan, but evidently it didn’t work. But I’m conscionable building. I emotion those moments.”

Durant divided a brace of free-throws to marque it 106-103. Jusuf Nurkic was fouled by Durant connected a layup with 6.5 seconds near and Nurkic converted the three-point play to necktie it astatine 107.

“Regardless of what radical say, we’re present to win,” Simmons said. “We’re present to triumph a championship. It’s going to instrumentality everybody to bash that. Everybody’s got to enactment focused, locked successful and enactment the course, not get caught up successful each the different things going on.”

Star defender Kyrie Irving could instrumentality to the lineup for Brooklyn arsenic soon arsenic Monday erstwhile the Nets big the Memphis Grizzlies, according to manager Jacque Vaughn. Irving has not played since November 2 portion serving a team-imposed suspension for refusing to accidental helium had nary antisemitic beliefs.

Vaughn admitted determination are nary guarantees erstwhile incorporating Irving backmost into the team, which has gone 4-3 successful his absence.

“There’s immoderate uncertainty determination for sure. And my attack is, the bid is going to support moving. That bid is: playing hard, playing together, being a squad and that’s going to continue. And that’s going to beryllium up to maine to get our radical to incorporated everybody.”

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