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Ben Simmons has been receiving a lot of hate after the Philadelphia 76ers\u2019 Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Several people\u2013including his Sixers teammate Joel Embiid\u2013also criticized him for a botched play in a crucial moment in the fourth quarter that proved to be costly.<\/p>\n
For those who missed it, with a little over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Simmons was able to escape Danilo Gallinari\u2019s defense and found himself wide open under the rim for an easy dunk or lay-up. However, he instead passed the ball to Matisse Thybulle who was then fouled.
\nThybulle only made one of the two freebies, and the Sixers saw the lead expand again after the Hawks responded with a 5-0 run. Had Simmons chose to shoot the ball, though, the score would have been tied at 88-all.<\/p>\n
Ben Simmons passing up dunks now??pic.twitter.com\/qovIypu2wZ
\n\u2014 ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 21, 2021<\/p>\n
In response to the criticisms about the play, Ben Simmons explained that he thought Gallinari was just right behind him and was going for the block.
\n\u201cI just assumed Gallo was coming up on my back and then Collins moved out,\u201d the Australian playmaker shared, per Rich Hoffman of The Athletic.
\nConsidering Simmons\u2019 poor free-throw shooting percentage, his decision might not be that wrong. Nonetheless, with the scores that close and given the number of bodies near Thybulle, it would have been really better had he took the risk and attempted the shot. Simply put, his lack of aggressiveness did not help Philly as they tried to keep the game close at that point.
\nAs mentioned, Joel Embiid was not happy with Simmons\u2019 decision and called the play the \u201cturning point\u201d that let any hope of the Sixers winning slip away for good.
\n\u201cI mean, I\u2019ll be honest. I thought the turning point was when we\u2014I don\u2019t know how to say it\u2014but I thought the turning point was just we had an open shot and we made one free throw and we missed the other and then they came down and scored,\u201d the Cameroonian big man said.
\nSure enough, there is no use crying over spilled milk. Besides, there were a lot of things that went wrong for Philly and it would be wrong to point to a specific play as the reason for the loss.
\nWith the way things are going, though, changes are bound to happen in the City of Brotherly Love this offseason.<\/p>\n