Kevin Durant praises Ben Simmons’ double-double performance against Portland Trail Blazers: “He did it all for us tonight, I'm excited for him”
The Brooklyn Nets won their biggest game of the season on Thursday night in Portland thanks to Ben Simmons.
Prior to the game, it was announced that Kyrie Irving would be available for the team's upcoming game on Sunday, breathing in some new life for the team. On the heels of the news, the Nets took the court against one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
Following the game, Kevin Durant spoke about the impact Ben Simmons had on the game with his double-double.
"Incredible. I mean just happy for him because you know he's been trying to get his form back. ... He shot them like he was confident. Ran back down court like he knew it was going in.
"He's playing aggressive like that when he's downhill. ... He did it all for us tonight. I'm excited for him. This is the type of game we all needed to see."
The first quarter was evenly contested, with both teams going on runs before the quarter ended tied 28-28. Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers began to pull away, taking a four-point lead into halftime. Something changed for Jacque Vaughn's team during halftime. When the third quarter began, the Nets appeared to find their offensive and defensive rhythms.
With a slight lead going into the fourth, things came down to the wire leading to a clutch offensive rebound layup putback by Royce O'Neal. The bucket gave the team a 109-107 win, marking a massive win for the Nets.
Durant's comments came during a post-game media scrum, which can be seen below.
Ben Simmons' clutch game against Portland
Throughout the course of the game, Simmons continued to dominate on both ends of the floor. The three-time All-Star managed to finish with a double-double while being on triple-double watch. Over the course of 32 minutes played Simmons racked up 15 pounds, 13 rebounds, and seven assists.
It was an impressive showing for Simmons, who has struggled so far this season. While he battles lingering injuries and attempts to play himself back into shape, Simmons has been coming off the bench as a result of his poor play. That, of course, led many to speculate that the Nets could opt to trade the young star. Given his play-ups so far, Simmons' trade stock has been at an all-time low.
Leading up to Thursday night's game against the Trailblazers, Simmons was averaging a career-low in points with 6.6, rebounds with 6.7, and assists with 5.7 In addition, he was also averaging a career-low field goal percentage while also playing a career-low minutes per game.
With the latest performance, Simmons will look to build on the momentum when the team hosts the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. The game will give the Nets another opportunity to test themselves against one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
Do you think Ben Simmons is finally 'over the hump', so to speak? Is it all uphill from here? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below, and check out some highlights from the game below.