Ben Simmons makes history, leads 76ers to victory

Ben Simmons continues to amaze the NBA world.

Simmons led the Philadelphia 76ers to their fourth consecutive victory Saturday morning and, in the process, collected another historic triple double. The Australian finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks in the Sixers’ 121-110 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

The victory gives the 76ers their longest winning streak in almost four years and sees them rise above .500 for the first time this season.

Simmons is the second player in NBA history with two triple doubles in the first nine games of his career. Oscar Robertson is the only other to accomplish the feat.

https://twitter.com/JoeGiglioSports/status/926618859263668224

Simmons is also the first rookie in NBA history to record a triple double with at least three steals and three blocks. It took the great Michael Jordan 58 games before he achieved the feat, and 118 games for LeBron James to do the same.

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These are just two of a slew of statistics that could be used to reinforce Simmons’ incredible start to his NBA career.

The scary thing for NBA teams is that this wasn’t Simmons’ best game of the season. He floated in and out of the contest during the middle quarters, but was always a presence on the floor. His passing is always a constant, and his assist numbers received a spike thanks to J.J. Redick going bananas and dropping eight three-pointers.

Redick paid tribute to Simmons after the match, noting how much be enjoys playing alongside the Australian rookie.

“It’s fun to play with him," Redick said. "The scary thing is he’s only going to get better.”

With Joel Embiid in foul trouble, Simmons also spent more time guarding the Pacers big men on the defensive end. This meant the Australian was the largest 76ers defender and a pseudo five man for long stretches. His ability impact the game as a weak side defender was on show, especially in the second half.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnIs7vVif6o

The 76ers now have three days off before heading to Salt Lake City to play against the Utah Jazz, where Joe Ingles will get to play against Simmons for the first time in his career.