Simmons Helps 76ers Top Bulls, 115-101

By ESPN

Ben Simmons wasn't among the players selected as an All-Star Game reserve -- and the rookie showed what the league will be missing.

Simmons had 19 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists for his fifth triple-double of the season to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 115-101 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

Dario Saric added 21 points and 10 rebounds and Joel Embiid had 22 points for the 76ers, who have won seven of 10.

"I wish I did make it," Simmons said, "but hopefully there will be plenty more years."

Embiid, picked to be a starter for the Eastern Conference last week, thinks the omission spurred Simmons.

"He was focused," Embiid said. "He just wanted it."

Philadelphia played without guards JJ Redick (left leg), T.J. McConnell (personal) and Jerryd Bayless (left wrist), but Simmons picked up the slack.

The rookie was just two assists away from a triple-double in the first half when he helped the 76ers to a 55-41 halftime lead with 11 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. His slam dunk with 7:40 left in the third quarter was part of a dominating period for Philadelphia.

Embiid's 3-pointer with 4:23 left in the third stretched the 76ers' lead to 25 points at 79-54. Embiid threw his hands up to get an already excited Philadelphia sports crowd even more revved up.

Philadelphia has had difficulty protecting late leads this season and blew a 15-point second-half advantage in Monday's 105-101 loss at Memphis, but the 25-point cushion was more than enough for the hot-shooting 76ers.

Philadelphia coach Brett Brown ostensibly called out Simmons and Embiid after the loss to the Grizzlies, saying, "Our stars weren't stars tonight."

He had praise for them following Wednesday's victory.

"They were really good tonight, and they were really good in the areas we needed them to be," he said.

Bobby Portis scored 22 points and Zach LaVine had 21 for the Bulls.

The Bulls, who began play five games behind the eighth-place 76ers in the East, have been playing better basketball of late. But Chicago still could have been reeling from Monday's 132-128 double-overtime loss to New Orleans in which the Bulls blew an 18-point fourth-quarter lead.

"There was probably a little hangover from that game, but you can't let it affect the way you play," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "I don't think we came out with any grit, toughness tonight. It just kind of became `my-turn shot.' A guy took a bad one and he said, `Well, if he's going to take a bad one, I'm going to take a bad one.' It just kind of trickled down."

RISING STARS

Chicago did get some good news before the game as Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen were selected by the league's assistant coaches to the Rising Stars game, which features first- and second-year players and will be played on Feb. 16. Dunn will play on the U.S. team while Markkanen will compete for the World squad.

Embiid, Simmons and Saric will team with Markkanen on the World team in the Rising Stars game.

Pacers 116, Suns 101

Victor Oladipo decided to share Wednesday night's All-Star selection party with his teammates.

They joined right in.

A night after the announcement came, Oladipo had 21 points and nine assists to help the Pacers pull away from the Phoenix Suns 116-101.

"I drew a lot of attention and guys were open. When my teammates are playing well, shooting the ball well, it makes it that much easier for me and everyone else," Oladipo said. "When we play as a unit on both ends of the floor we're really effective."

Indiana was efficient and dominant despite playing without two starters. The Pacers never trailed, never allowed the Suns to get closer than 10 points after the first quarter, built a 38-point lead in the third and still led by 27 with 4:41 left to play.

Five Pacers scored in double figures and Oladipo wasn't even Indiana's top scorer. Thaddeus Young had 22 points.

Sure, Phoenix looked like a team ready to head home following the final stop on a four-game road trip.

But Oladipo and the Pacers took full advantage with a devastating one-two combination: a 13-4 scoring flurry to end the first half and a 16-2 spurt to start the second. That made it 79-44, all but assuring Indiana of its fifth win in six games and its second double-digit victory over Phoenix in 10 days.

"They were a physical team, and we didn't match their physicality," Suns coach Jay Triano said. "For us to compete with a team like this we've got to have everybody play well and it didn't happen."

Josh Jackson scored 20 points and Greg Monroe had 16 points and a season-high 17 rebounds for the Suns, who have lost two straight and five of six.

The Suns started the second half with three turnovers and five missed shots before making their first basket -- Jackson's 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 79-49 with 7:24 left in the third. Phoenix only managed to make the score more respectable by finishing the game on a 16-4 run.

TIP-INS

Suns: Phoenix was 9 of 35 on 3-pointers but still extended the league's longest active streak of consecutive games with a 3 to 1,106. Dallas holds the NBA record at 1,108. ... Devin Booker and Troy Daniels each scored 19 points.

Pacers: Bojan Bogdanovic scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds while Al Jefferson had 10 points. ... Lance Stephenson had seven points, nine rebounds and four assists. ... The 15-point victory coupled with last week's 23-point rout gave Indiana its most lopsided season sweep over Phoenix in franchise history. ... The Pacers shot 56.2 percent from the field and are 16-0 when topping 50 percent this season.

Wednesday, January 24 Scoreboard

New Orleans 101, Charlotte 96

Utah 98, Detroit 95 (OT)

Indiana 116, Phoenix 101

Philadelphia 115, Chicago 101

Toronto 108, Atlanta 93

Houston 104, Dallas 97

San  Antonio 108, Memphis 85

Portland 123, Minnesota 114

Boston 113, Los Angeles Clippers 102

Thursday, January 25 Schedule (All Times Central)

Sacramento at Miami, 6:30 p.m.

Washington at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.

New York at Denver, 8 p.m.

Minnesota at Golden State, 9:30 p.m.

Friday, January 26 Schedule (All Times Central)

Atlanta at Charlotte, 6 p.m.

Indiana at Cleveland, 6:30 p.m.

Utah at Toronto, 6:30 p.m.

Los Angeles Lakers at Chicago, 7 p.m.

Los Angeles Clippers at Memphis, 7 p.m.

Brooklyn at Milwaukee, 7 p.m.

Houston at New Orleans, 7 p.m.

Portland at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.

Philadelphia at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m.

New York at Phoenix, 8 p.m.

Saturday, January 27 Schedule (All Times Central)

Oklahoma City at Detroit, 4 p.m.

Orlando at Indiana, 6 p.m.

Washington at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m.

Charlotte at Miami, 6:30 p.m.

Boston at Golden State, 7:30 p.m.

Brooklyn at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Dallas at Denver, 8 p.m.

Sunday January 28 Schedule (All Times Central)

Milwaukee at Chicago, 2:30 p.m.

Phoenix at Houston, 2:30 p.m.

Los Angeles Clippers at New Orleans, 3 p.m.

Detroit at Cleveland, 5 p.m.

Los Angeles Lakers at Toronto, 5 p.m.

Philadelphia at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m.

Sacramento at San Antonio, 6 p.m.