While Josh Giddey is Australia’s rising basketball star, Ben Simmons reminded his fellow countryman what he can do. Simmons flirted with a triple-double in the Aussies’ first ever NBA meeting in the Brooklyn Nets’ 120-112 home win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday (all times AEDT). Simmons racked up eight points, eight rebounds, a game-high 11 assists and two blocks in just 25 minutes, with his flashy passing on full display in his best performance this campaign.
Average of 9 LIVE Regular Season games per week plus the best of the NBA Playoffs, including every game of the NBA Conference Finals & NBA Finals LIVE on ESPN, available via Kayo New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. Giddey had 11 points on an inefficient 5-of-17 shooting from the field, but added six rebounds, eight assists and two steals.
It marked just the second time this season Giddey didn’t hit a three-pointer despite averaging a career-best two per game at a 58 per cent clip going into the contest. Cam Thomas was the real hero for Brooklyn, getting hot in crunch time. Thomas scored 10 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter — including nailing a three-pointer from the logo — as the Nets ended the game on a 24-16 run to claim the victory and improve to 3-3.
Simmons was also crucial in igniting Brooklyn’s fourth-quarter comeback. He threaded a beautiful bounce pass to Ziaire Williams through traffic for his 11th assist as the Nets took back a 100-98 lead with 8:56 remai.
