Doc Rivers baffled by continued criticism of Ben Simmons

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PHILADELPHIA – Doc Rivers can’t understand Ben Simmons’ criticisms, especially after the three-time All-Star became the sixth player in NBA history to have at least 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a playoff game .

“Only in Philadelphia,” Rivers said Tuesday, when asked about the critics. “If you don’t know what treasure you have now then shame everyone because it has been fantastic for us. He creates points every night for us. When Ben was on the ground, we were really good.

“I’m amazed people can’t see what he’s doing. We are so caught up by the number of points he scored. … Does it matter if Ben had the 125s? Would we be mad that Joel (Embiid) didn’t score? It doesn’t matter who scores as long as we score. … When Ben plays, we score more points.

Simmons scored six points in Philadelphia’s 125-118 win over Washington in Game 1 of their series opener. He’s missed all six of his free throws, and his shooting shortcomings sometimes eclipse his entire game, including his impressive defense.

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“He’s a big guy and he plays guard,” said Wizards guard Bradley Beal, who scored 33 points in Game 1. “It’s not like he’s a power forward or a cross guarding me. He is very mobile, agile and he is strong. So that propels him. And the fact that he wants to play in defense. He is a voluntary defender. You don’t always see this.

The 76ers, Memphis Grizzlies and Atlanta Hawks are each looking to take a 2-0 lead in the series on Wednesday night.

As Philadelphia won their opener against Beal, Russell Westbrook and Washington sub.-500, the Western Conference’s No.1 seed Utah fell to Memphis 112-109 in the game. 1. The Jazz expect Donovan Mitchell to be back on Wednesday after he was eliminated late on Sunday. .

“I was definitely frustrated and upset that I couldn’t play,” said Mitchell. “I am a competitor. I felt I was ready to go, and unfortunately I wasn’t.

Wednesday matches:

WITCHES AT 76ers

Philadelphia leads 1-0. Thu 2, 7 p.m. EDT, TNT.

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– NEED TO KNOW: Philadelphia won’t need more goals from Simmons if Tobias Harris continues to carry the offense in the stretches like he did when he had 37 points on Sunday.

– KEEP ONE SURE: Embiid was a non-factor in the first half of Game 1 when he struggled with early fouls. But the Wizards couldn’t stop him in the second half and he finished with 30 points.

– INJURY SURVEILLANCE: Beal struggled with his hamstrings late in the regular season, but still played 40 minutes in Game 1.

– PRESSURE IS ON: The Sixers had the league’s second-best home record and can’t afford a misstep that would give Washington an advantage on the pitch.

HAWKS TO KNICKS

Atlanta leads 1-0. Thu 2, 7:30 p.m. EDT, TNT.

– WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Atlanta’s 107-105 win in Game 1 was their first in four tries against New York this season. Trae Young had 32 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in his playoff debut, hitting the decisive float with 0.9 seconds left. He was taunted and cursed by the Madison Square Garden crowd all night long and fans could get even louder with their rage on Wednesday after he put his finger to his lips after his winning shot.

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– KEEP ONE ON: The Knicks point guard rotation. Starter Elfrid Payton has struggled and while coach Tom Thibodeau has resisted a change so far, he certainly won’t be staying with Payton for long. Sixth man Derrick Rose registered after just four minutes in the first quarter and even faster to start the third, and Payton never came back in the game in both halves.

– SHOWS OF INJURIES: Knicks center Nerlens Noel twisted his ankle in Game 1, but Thibodeau expects him to be ready for Game 2.

– THE PRESSURE IS ON: Julius Randle. The All-Star forward needs to play better and has said he will do so after shooting just 6 for 23 in Game 1, finishing with 15 points after scoring 40 times against the Hawks in the regular season.

GRIZZLIES AT JAZZ

Memphis leads 1-0. Thu 2, 10 p.m. EDT, TNT.

– NEED TO KNOW: Memphis has a chance to take their first 2-0 lead in franchise history. A No.8 seed has held a 2-0 lead over a No.1 seed just twice before. Chicago led Boston 2-0 in 2017, and the Los Angeles Lakers had a 2-0 lead over Phoenix in 1993 in a best-of-five series.

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– KEEP AN EYE ON: How well does the Jazz take care of the ball. The Grizzlies had a 17-2 advantage in deflections, and Kyle Anderson set a franchise playoff record with six of Memphis’ 12 interceptions in Game 1.

– SHOW OF INJURIES: Mitchell hasn’t played since spraining his right ankle on April 16, so he may need to get rid of the rust. The All-Star has averaged 26.4 points and 5.2 assists per game this season.

– THE PRESSURE IS ON: Jazz have had the best record in the NBA this season and have only lost five times at home during the regular season. Memphis are the youngest team in the playoffs, so the Grizzlies already have a field advantage in this series knowing that capacity will be increased to 55% in the FedExForum when they return home.

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AP Basketball writer Brian Mahoney and AP Sports writers Teresa M. Walker and Howard Fendrich contributed to this report.

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