The Philadelphia Sixers were able to regain homecourt advantage in the playoffs with a 145-123 game two win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. The difference in the game may have been the performance of Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.
Simmons, in the game scored a triple-double with 18 points, 10 assists and, 12 rebounds. The third-year Simmons had a bounce-back game of sorts where he had a lackluster shooting performance making four of his limited nine shots.
The Nets’ Jared Dudley discussed Simmon’s performance with reporters at Wednesday media availability and had a less than impressed response to what his opponent was able to accomplish during the game.
Following from the New York Post,
“Ben Simmons is a great player in transition. Once you slow him up in the half-court, he’s average,” Dudley said. “He’s a player that, when he picks up speed, he’s a load.
“For him it’s taking away his easy baskets. If you’re in a bad way, foul him and make him make free throws. If he’s 4-for-4, keep fouling him. The odds tell you what his percentages are.”
#Sixers PG @BenSimmons25 responds to Jared Dudley’s comment about the #NBAAllStar being “average” in half court. pic.twitter.com/0BQTtHOnUL
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) April 18, 2019
When Simmons was asked what he thought about Dudley describing his half-court game as “average” Simmons said, “That’s coming from Jared Dudley, come on.”
Dudley had more to say about the Sixers in regard to Embiid – who scored 23 points and 10 rebounds – and his Flagrant one foul against the Nets’ Jarett Allen. Embiid, at his press conference, apologized for what was a hard foul on Allen, but his sympathies may have been undercut with his ensuing bout of laughter.
This laughter is what got under Dudley’s skin.
Also from the New York Post,
“I felt a certain type of way for it just because you’re laughing and someone could have really gotten hurt. Now, luckily, Jay did pop up. That’s been Embiid’s personality, but just because it’s your personality doesn’t mean it’s right. So, for us, you can either get even however you want to do it, but the biggest thing for us to get even is winning Game 3.”
The series will resume in Brooklyn on Thursday night.
