1. Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
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Rookie point-forward Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers saw their seven-game winning streak end on Sunday night at the hands of the Washington Wizards. The loss came as Philadelphia put up just 94 points as a team. They put up 100 points or more in every game during their seven-game winning streak.
Simmons turned in a 122.2 defensive rating against a Wizards team who was without All-Star point guard John Wall. It wasn’t his best defensive performance, although he finished the game with 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Simmons set a new career-high in points with 32 in the Sixers’ 116-115 victory, including the game-winning bucket over the Chicago Bulls last Thursday night. He did it without attempting a 3-pointer, going 13-for-18 (72.2 percent) from the floor. He also recorded 11 assists to register his 23rd double-double of the season.
Philadelphia is 32-26 in the Eastern Conference, two spots behind Washington for the fourth in the playoff race. In fact, they’re a half-game behind the Milwaukee Bucks for sixth place and 1.5 games back of the Indiana Pacers for fifth place.
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As the playoff race heats up, look for Simmons to increase his level of play, as all eyes will be on him to win or lose the Rookie of the Year award.