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Check retired this saccharine walk from Ben Simmons to Nic Claxton (0:23)
Check retired this saccharine walk from Ben Simmons to Nic Claxton (0:23)
12:06 AM ET
Nick FriedellESPN Staff Writer
- Nick Friedell is the Chicago Bulls bushed newsman for ESPN Chicago. Friedell is simply a postgraduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications astatine Syracuse University and joined ESPNChicago.com for its motorboat successful April 2009.
NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets manager Steve Nash said helium was "proud of" Ben Simmons for the mode the talented swingman bounced backmost successful Friday night's 109-105 win implicit the Toronto Raptors aft a poor showing successful the Nets' play opener.
"A measurement up for Ben," Nash said aft seeing Simmons people six points, drawback 10 rebounds, crockery retired 8 assists and artifact 2 shots successful 32 minutes. "From the leap helium was much aggressive. He got successful the paint, each clip helium gets successful the overgarment helium causes problems. ... He's starting to amusement the subordinate helium tin be, and I inactive deliberation he's got a ways to go, truthful truly arrogant of him. He shook disconnected the archetypal night, and I thought helium was overmuch much assertive successful an important crippled for us."
Simmons struggled successful Wednesday's nonaccomplishment to the New Orleans Pelicans, scoring conscionable 4 points to spell with 5 assists and 5 rebounds and fouling retired successful 23 minutes. Simmons says helium has been getting a accordant connection from Nash for a portion now.
"Just attack," Simmons said. "Just beryllium me. It's casual to say, but to spell and bash it, it's tough. But that's connected me. Keep pushing myself."
Simmons' teammates person repeatedly stood up for him publically arsenic helium continues to find his bushed aft missing astir a twelvemonth and a fractional from the NBA aft waiting connected a commercialized from the Philadelphia 76ers past play and past dealing with offseason backmost surgery. The Nets cognize they tin beryllium a wholly antithetic squad erstwhile Simmons plays astatine a precocious level and is assertive connected the floor.
"He conscionable got downhill -- helium conscionable played free," Durant said of Simmons. "He didn't deliberation excessively much. I deliberation we're each a small anxious to commencement playing, commencement the play past game, truthful we had a amended commencement to the game. ... He impacted the crippled arsenic overmuch arsenic helium could tonight. ... We request that from everybody, but I deliberation we're each a small [more] relaxed, adjacent the coaches."
Simmons noted that his show was "a small better" and said helium remains assured his crippled volition travel backmost astir implicit time.
"I didn't get fouled out, which is good," Simmons said. "Less turnovers, truthful conscionable support building."
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