Sixers’ Ben Simmons Shoots Rare 3-Pointer In Blowout 143-120 Win Over Lakers [VIDEO]

The Philadelphia 76ers had a dominant 143-120 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night. Joel Embiid scored 37 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, Tobias Harris meshed with the Sixers and added 22 points and JJ Redick went off for 21 and a four-point play. But the most exciting play in the 143-120 win on Sunday night was a missed shot.

Simmons Drops Big 3-Pointer

Less than a minute into the third quarter, Sixers point forward Ben Simmons pulled up from deep. It didn’t go in. Simmons, known for his lack of shooting ability, shot with time left on the shot clock. Prior to the game, he’d been good for only 14 three-point attempts in his career.

“I might as well come down and pull it,” Simmons said of the attempt. “I didn’t really think about it.”

The newly added Harris said, ” I loved it. And it was in the basket, too.”

Coach Brett Brown said the bench was as surprised as everyone else was.  The reaction was “a little bit like everybody’s. Like, ‘OK.'”

While the 34-year-old Redick played it cool and said he “wasn’t shocked,” Embiid shot back “You sure?” There was laughter and then the center added, “it actually was going in. Me, personally, I was getting ready to run the play, and then I just literally, I just saw the ball go over, and I was like, ‘Oh, s—.’ It caught me off-guard, and then I was in the position where I was thinking, ‘What just happened?'”

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While Simmons won Rookie of the Year and was named an All-Star in his second season, his lack of a jump shot has been a huge talking point for Philly throughout this season. If he were to add one, his game would become almost transcendent. A 6-foot-10 guy as agile as Simmons, with both his current passing ability and a jump shoot, seems almost unreal.

Before this week, coach Brown prompted Simmons to take a shot or two if he got the chance. As Philly is playoff bound, the final third of the season will serve as a way to prepare for the playoffs.

“We’ve talked about this a lot, and I thought it looked good,” Brown said. “The shot looked good. The rhythm of it looked good. It was close to going in. He didn’t look uncomfortable shooting it. And he can tell you the story if he chooses, but he and I spoke about this notion for a little bit in the last 24 hours. What’s going to happen in the third third of the regular season? What can we do to prepare you for the playoffs, and what’s coming?”

Simmons might not want to admit it but the addition of a jumper would take him to the next level. Still, he’s hesitant on the subject. “I will start pulling up,” he said, “but it’s not one thing I am looking at. It’s not everything. I’m not focused on just doing that. I am going to play my game, play to my strengths and continue to try to get better.”