By Kevin McCormick, Sports Talk Philly Editor
The Sixers took their three-game winning streak into the Barclays Center where they would take on the Nets as part of the Martin Luther King day quadruple-header. This was a very back and forth game, but thanks to some big plays late the Sixers were able to pull it out. With their 117-111 victory, they have now extended their winning streak to four games.
Ben Simmons was the story of this game. Although he has been on a great run in the team’s recent stretch, he kicked into a new gear in this game.
He tied his career-high in points in this game with 34 points. Along with his huge scoring barrage he also posted 12 rebounds, 12 assists, five steals, and two blocks en route to his fourth triple-double on the year.
Simmons left his mark all over this game on both ends of the ball. He provided a huge spark and was a great leader on the floor.
Al Horford also was very big in this game after he was almost scratched from the lineup. He finished the afternoon with 19 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two huge blocks late in the game to help seal the victory.
The Sixers also got a boost from the bench in this game. Furkan Korkmaz posted 10 points and had a big three in the final minutes to hold off the Nets. Mike Scott also had a much needed nice game. He knocked down a pair of threes and was very active on the glass. He finished with eight points and eight rebounds.
Defense won the game for the Sixers today. Heading into the fourth quarter the Sixers looked very out of it and looked like they were ready to mail the game in. But in those final 12 minutes, they flipped the switch on defense and shook the Nets. They posted in 12 steals in the game and forced the Nets into 22 turnovers.
The Sixers are gaining a lot of momentum on this run, and they are going to need it. They will be back in action on Wednesday as they will head north to face the defending champion Toronto Raptors.