Ben Simmons Urged Brett Brown to Keep Raul Neto in for so Long vs. Warriors

Many circumstances created an unusual game for the Philadelphia 76ers matchup with the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. For starters, the vibe in the arena was quite off during tip-off. The memorial for Kobe Bryant created an awkward start for the game as everybody in attendance was still trying to process the reality of the tragedy.

Eventually, things began to get back to normal but Sixers' head coach Brett Brown had some strange rotations going on as the first half played out. After checking in for the first eight minutes of the game, Sixers' point guard Ben Simmons stayed glued to the bench.

As multiple substitutions occurred during the second quarter, it was becoming slightly alarming that the young star remained in his sideline gear, looking like he had no intention of getting back out onto the floor.

Fortunately, Simmons' backup Raul Neto was having himself a night. The backup point guard ended up checking in for 15-straight minutes to close out the first half. During that time, he drained seven of his eight field-goal attempts, totaling for 19 points.

At halftime, many were questioning why Ben Simmons didn't play a single minute during the second quarter. Was he hurt? Or was Brett Brown testing something new with the rotations? It was an interestingly mysterious situation, but after the matchup, Brown didn't hesitate to reveal what happened -- and many will be shocked to know why.

"I'm getting ready to have Ben Simmons come back in [during the second quarter]," Brown explained. "To Ben's credit as a teammate, he sort of passed on down the bench to one of my assistants, "Let's keep him going," in regards to Neto, who was playing excellent.

"That's an interesting selfless instruction, so we did it, and [Neto] rewarded us. It's not something you are normally going to do, letting Ben sit there. Raul had played so well, so we decided to roll with it and he certainly justified it with his performance -- that decision."

Despite missing the entire second quarter, Simmons ended up returning to the court for a good chunk of the second half. In total, he wrapped the game up with 27 minutes, scoring 17 points. Considering he has been averaging just under 40 minutes-per-night with Joel Embiid out, the Sixers' guard could've used some time off heading into this matchup. Fortunately, he got it.

Looking back, it was a win-win situation for Philly. Simmons gets the much-needed rest he deserves while displaying an act of selflessness looking out for another teammate.

Neto, on the other hand, proved just how valuable he can be on the offensive side of the ball when he gets the minutes to produce. Then, all in all, the Sixers come away with a team victory, notching their 31st win of the season. It wasn't the prettiest victory, but Philly will take it however they can get it.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_