Philadelphia 76ers vs Utah Jazz Match Player Stats On Nov 07, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Nov 8, 2017

SALT LAKE CITY -- Filling up a stat sheet is becoming a way of life for Ben Simmons. Even when his shot isn't falling, the rookie point guard makes his presence felt in enough other avenues that he still finds a way to make a major impact on a game.

It has reshaped the Philadelphia 76ers in a dramatic way. Suddenly, they are becoming a legitimately dangerous team on both ends of the court.

Buoyed by Simmons' seventh double-double of the season, the Sixers pulled away for a 104-97 win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night. Simmons totaled 16 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, three steals and three blocks. He tied a career high in rebounds and steals and set a career high in blocked shots.

His goal was to play more aggressive without center Joel Embiid and guard Jerryd Bayless in the lineup. Simmons accomplished it by contributing across the board from the opening tip.

"I'm just happy I can do it any way I can," Simmons said. "It's tough missing two guys and trying to find a rhythm with two of our guys coming into the starting lineup. That's new, but at the same time they've got to be ready and I've got to be prepared.”

His aggressive play spread through the rest of the team. Two other players also notched their first double-doubles for the Sixers this season. Dario Saric scored 25 points on a career-high five 3-pointers and added 10 rebounds. Robert Covington had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Both players recorded their first double-doubles of the season.

J.J. Redick also offered a boost from the perimeter, scoring 20 points. Their combined efforts helped Philadelphia (6-4) snapped a nine-game losing streak in the series with Utah and win in Salt Lake City for the first time since 2005.

The Sixers are also winners in five straight games now.

"That shows what type of team we have now," Simmons said. "We just want to win. It's all about winning for us."

Rodney Hood scored 19 points to lead Utah. Rudy Gobert added 16 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks.

The Jazz (5-6) dropped their third straight game overall and suffered their second consecutive home loss after shooting just 30.3 percent (30 of 99) from the field.

"We've just got to figure it out," Hood said. "The world's not ending. We've just got to figure it out and go from there."

Utah was lifeless on offense during the first quarter. The Jazz went 5 of 21 from the field and quickly fell into a double-digit hole.

Richaun Holmes drove for a layup and Covington converted a four-point play a minute later to spark a 20-3 run for the Sixers. Redick finished it off with three free throws, giving Philadelphia a 26-10 lead with 3:08 left in the first quarter.

"We've got to be better," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "We've got to be better at the beginning of quarters and control the things we can control."

The Jazz offense rose from the grave in the second quarter. Utah used a 13-0 run to erase its double-digit deficit.

Derrick Favors buried a 3-pointer and Donovan Mitchell drove for a layup on back-to-back possessions to fuel the run. Raul Neto capped it with two free throws that tied the score at 41.

The Jazz rallied when the Sixers missed shots in bunches. Philadelphia went 0 of 11 from the field during a 5 1/2-minute stretch.

T.J. McConnell and Covington ended the drought with back-to-back baskets before halftime.

The comeback proved short-lived. Redick scored 13 points in the third quarter -- highlighted by three 3-pointers -- to help the Sixers carve out another double-digit lead. His three outside baskets keyed an 18-5 run for Philadelphia, with the final one giving the Sixers a 64-49 lead.

Utah trailed by double digits through most of the fourth quarter but cut the deficit to 100-97 on a layup from Gobert with 10.9 seconds left. Saric and Simmons each hit two free throws in the final seconds to ice the win.

"We've been closing out games far more efficiently," Sixers coach Brett Brown said. "Tonight wasn't one of them. We have to continue to grow in that area."

NOTES: Sixers C Joel Embiid did not play (load management) but is expected to be available against Sacramento on Thursday. Richaun Holmes started in Embiid's place and finished with six points and five rebounds in 15 minutes. ... Guards Donovan Mitchell, Ricky Rubio and Rodney Hood combined to go 11 of 51 from the field for the Jazz. ... Sixers G Ben Simmons notched his seventh double-double of the season in 10 games. That's the most for an NBA rookie since Shaquille O'Neal opened his career with 11 straight double-doubles in 1992-93.