Ben Simmons turned in one of his best offensive performances of the season, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 128-105 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road.
Simmons recorded 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting, 14 assists and 11 rebounds with no turnovers for his third triple-double of the season and 15th of his career. Simmons reached the mark with 2:32 remaining in the third quarter.
After today's effort, Simmons joins Oscar Robertson as the only players to have 15 triple-doubles through 111 games.
.@sixers @BenSimmons25 now has 15 career triple-doubles, which is tied w/ @CP3 for 7th-most among active players. This is Simmons' 111th career game; he joins HOFer Oscar Robertson as only two @NBA players ever to post at least 15 triple-doubles in that few games.
— Sixers Stats (@SixersStats) December 16, 2018
h/t @bball_ref
Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 24 points and nine rebounds, while Jimmy Butler added 19 points on 6-for-10 shooting, returning to the lineup after missing the past two games with a groin strain. Rookie Landry Shamet had the hot hand all night off the bench, scoring 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting.
Losing their past two games, the 76ers came out with a renewed energy, turning a seven-point deficit after the first quarter, into a seven-point halftime lead, thanks to a sizzling second quarter.
They set the tone defensively, making life hard for the Cavs inside, recording nine blocks to Cleveland's zero and winning the rebound count 48-33.
Ben Simmons notches his third triple-double of the season in the #Sixers' 128-105 win over the #Cavs #HereTheyCome
— NBA Australia (@NBA_AU) December 16, 2018
📊 22 PTS | 14 AST | 11 REB pic.twitter.com/28EQezqZQu
Philly extended the lead to 13 points in the third quarter, before Cleveland hit back with a 12-0 run to cut the lead to 86-85, with Larry Nance Jr, David Nwaba and Dellavedova heating up from the three-point line.
As Cleveland scrapped their way back into the game, Philly exploded out of the gates in the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run to regain control of the contest. They scored 39 points in the final frame, dominating on both sides of the floor.
Jordan Clarkson and Cedi Osman led the Cavs with 18 points each, but it was the second unit who breathed life into the Cavs offence, with the bench outscoring the 76ers reserves 50-38.
Matthew Dellavedova continued his impressive form off the bench for the Cavs with 13 points and seven assists, shooting 3-for-4 from the three-point line.
.@matthewdelly continues to impress off the bench for the #Cavs, providing plenty of playmaking against the #Sixers #BeTheFight
— NBA Australia (@NBA_AU) December 16, 2018
📊 13 PTS | 7 AST | 3-4, 3PT pic.twitter.com/qTGcl8cfEA
With the win, Philly moves to 20-11 on the season, while the Cavs hold a 7-23 record.