Simmons triple-double not enough
BEN Simmons did it but Giannis Antetokounmpo did it that much better as Milwaukee Bucks cruised past the Philadelphia 76ers 123-108 in NBA action yesterday.
Simmons, returning from a back injury which kept him out of the previous game, finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.
Antetokounmpo was on another level however with 32 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists. He became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain (1965-66) to record four straight 25-point, 15-rebound games to open a season, the win moving the Bucks to a 4-0 season start.
Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 30 points and 19 rebounds.
Fellow Australian Joe Ingles was also overshadowed — but by one of his own teammates, and the Utah Jazz got the result it wanted in the process. Donovan Mitchell grabbed 38 points in a confidence-boosting 100-98 victory over NBA western conference rivals Houston Rockets.
Beaten 4-1 by the Rockets in last season’s conference semi-finals, the Jazz took advantage of Chris Paul’s suspension and fellow star James Harden’s late injury exit as they bagged a road win.
Australian starter Ingles scored 11 points, including three three-pointers from six attempts, to go with six rebounds and three assists as guard Mitchell dominated the Jazz scoring.
Patty Mills went from hero to zero — quite literally — against the Indiana Pacers.
After securing a previous start win for the San Antonio Spurs over the LA Lakers with a jump shot in the last six seconds, the Australian had a disappointing night with no points from his 25 minutes.
Meanwhile LeBron James won his first game as a Laker, finishing with 19 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists in a 131-113 victory against the host Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. Lance Stephenson had 23 points, eight rebounds and eight assists off the bench, and JaVale McGee led five starters in double figures with 20 points. Josh Hart made his first start of the season for Los Angeles and scored 15.