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Simmons struggles but 76ers net NBA win

3 minute read

Ben Simmons' Philadelphia 76ers have defeated Patty Mills' San Antonio Spurs in their NBA seeding game while the Los Angeles Lakers beat Joe Ingles' Utah Jazz.

BEN SIMMONS.
BEN SIMMONS. Picture: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Time will tell whether the Philadelphia 76ers are better with Ben Simmons at power forward but at least they now have a win in the NBA bubble in Florida.

In their second seeding game against another undermanned opponent since the season restart, Philadelphia edged out the San Antonio Spurs 132-130 on Monday.

Simmons, shifted to the four spot to accommodate Shake Milton at point guard in the 76ers starting five, had just eight points, five rebounds, one block and one steal before he fouled out against the Spurs with 2 minutes 12 seconds.

San Antonio led by two points with 10 seconds left to play before Milton (16 points) drained a three-pointer to put the Sixers ahead before Joel Embiid - who had a team-high 27 points) - closed out the win with a free throw and then an intentional miss to run out the clock.

Again the questions remains over Simmons' outside shot after he failed to attempt a three-point shot.

Philadelphia coach Brett Brown was asked before the game about Simmons' hesitancy to shoot from the perimeter.

"I went back and studied the game, watched the game," Brown said of Saturday's seeding-game loss to the Indiana Pacers.

"There was one time that I thought, 'Yup, you know, you could have fired a perimeter shot, and it wasn't even really a three as a I remember it.

"It's not on my mind like it is everybody else's

"But it's old news to me to be truthful... I don't see it as trepidation or lack of confidence."

Philadelphia are sixth in the eastern conference while Boomers guard Patty Mills (who matched Simmons' points output on Monday) and his Spurs are 10th in the west after dropping their first game since the resumption.

Los Angeles Lakers clinched the western conference title for the first time since Kobe Bryant led them to the 2010 championship with a 116-108 defeat of Joe Ingles' Utah Jazz.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers' scoring with 42 points while LeBron James had 22 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

Toronto Raptors saw off the Miami Heat 107-103 to make it six wins in a row and consolidate second spot in the east as they defend their title.

Other winners on Monday were the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and New Orleans Pelicans.

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