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Tim BontempsESPN
In his first game after finally not being included in a deal for James Harden, All-Star Ben Simmons had a triple-double – 10 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists – in 34 minutes on Thursday for lead the 76ers to a 125- 108 victory over the Miami Heat in Philadelphia.
He later called the trade talks only part of his life as an NBA player.
“I mean, it’s a business,” Simmons said when asked if he’s happy that Harden’s talks are behind him after the 2018 NBA MVP was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in a deal that was formalized Thursday. “It simply came to our notice then. The only thing I can control is, you know, the way I approach my daily workouts, games, and things. So, you know, I’m just trying to be professional and do the right thing and help my team win. “
Philadelphia – whose basketball operations president Daryl Morey acquired Harden as general manager of the Houston Rockets in the fall of 2012 – and Brooklyn were the main competitors who landed the superstar’s guard in the past few weeks.
In the end, however, Houston chose a package from Brooklyn that contained a lot of draft picks over one from Philadelphia, led by Simmons.
When asked on Thursday if he felt the need to discuss what happened to Morey or anyone else in the leadership, Simmons said he could only control what he could control.
“I come here and work every day,” Simmons said. “So my job is to improve and get victories – all the other things I can’t control. As I said before, all I can control is how I get in with my mindset, my practices, and the floor, and I enjoyed myself tonight. I’m blessed. I play the game I love every day at the highest level in the world … Much worse things happen in the world, so, you know, I’m in a blessed position. If you told me I would never play the game again, that would be a different story. “
When asked if he was happy to still be in Philadelphia, Simmons added, “Of course.”
Earlier, Sixers coach Doc Rivers praised Simmons’ defensive effort on a night in which he had three steals in addition to his triple triple.
“I thought tonight was who he should be every night,” Rivers said. “I like the way he played. I liked the way he played under control. He didn’t force it, he scored goals when they were there … He was a presence on the floor for us and not just at the end. offensive, but also at the defensive end. That takes us to a different level when they play like that. “