Ben Simmons Leads 76ers to Comeback Win over New York Knicks

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- The results of Wednesday night's win wasn't as pretty as expected for the Philadelphia 76ers. As the team returned home to the Wells Fargo Center for the first time in a week, many believed they would take care of their Eastern Conference opponent with ease as they hosted the New York Knicks.

As we know by now though, no game is ever a sure victory when it comes to the 2019 76ers. While Philadelphia is still viewed as one of the Eastern Conference's best team, they seem to get in their own way more often than not this season.

The now 9-5 record shows the Sixers can win, but it doesn't exactly show how close most of their games have been. Although they are superior to the Knicks on paper, New York gave the Sixers a run for their money in South Philly on Wednesday.

By the time the second half started, it felt like the Sixers were still game-planning in the locker room. Meanwhile, the Knicks began to heat up as the Sixers started off ice cold. As a result, the Knicks eventually grasped a 15-point lead midway through the third quarter. From that moment on, the Sixers needed one of their respected veterans to step up and take charge, if they wanted to complete the comeback.

Fortunately, the man of the night was more than willing to take on that on-court leadersip role. Sixers' point guard Ben Simmons made noise early on in the game, as he attempted and drained his first real three-point shot in his career. While the three-pointer was all anybody wanted to talk about Wednesday, Simmons did a lot more than just making a single long-range shot.

The third-year* veteran clocked in for a game-high of 41 minutes on Wednesday. He notched a double-double, accounting for 13 assists and 18 points. While the numbers don't exactly jump off the stat sheet, it was clear that the Sixers more than likely would've never accomplished the come from behind victory without Simmons coordinating everything.

"I thought Ben's intensity was as good as its ever been," Sixers' head coach Brett Brown said following the victory. "I thought that he was outstanding with his presence. He really changed the whole landscape."

Simmons, a man of very few words, cut straight to the chase when describing what happened during the attempted comeback following the game. "We just had to pick it up," Simmons said, regarding the Sixers' struggles to maintain a lead in the second half. "We just made it hard on ourselves because the energy from the first half just wasn't there."

While Simmons denies being the "leader in charge" during those comeback situations, he did mention what exactly motivated him during the late-game struggles. "You know, I hate losing. Hearing our own fans boo, that annoys me and fuels the fire. For me, it's all about winning."