‘Hard to win’: Simons, Walker put Portland lessons to work with Sixers

‘Hard to win’: Simons, Walker put Portland lessons to work with Sixers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Anfernee Simons and Jabari Walker shared the floor for 131 games in Portland. The Trail Blazers won 46 of them.

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They sat beside one another in the Sixers’ interview room Thursday night after a victory and discussed what the other 85 taught them.

“Whether you’ve got a big role or a small role, it’s hard to win in the NBA,” Simons said. “We’ve seen it firsthand.”

Their roles were considerably different then.

Simons was an established starter entrusted with creating and scoring. Walker, a 2022 second-round pick, was trying to establish himself in a rotation. During their three overlapping seasons, Portland went 33-49, 21-61 and 36-46. The Blazers missed the playoffs each year.

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Both are now reserves on a Sixers team constructed to contend.

They provided 26 points, 11 rebounds and six three-pointers in the Sixers’ 123-112 win over the Raptors at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Simons scored 17 points and shot 5 for 6 from three-point range. Walker recorded nine points and eight rebounds, including four on the offensive glass.

The Sixers outscored Toronto by 24 points during Simons’ 23 minutes. Neither former Blazer committed a turnover.

Their production helped Philadelphia overcome a 17-point first-quarter deficit and improve to 10-3 without LeBron James.

“You learn once you come off the bench to kind of read the game before you get in there,” Simons said. “Obviously, we started off kind of slow. You just want to go in, bring some energy, get some stops, get out and run. I think everybody who got off the bench brought energy.”

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Simons supplied an immediate lift with a deep three-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer. His shot ended an 8-0 Sixers run and trimmed Toronto’s lead to nine.

He remained involved during an 11-0 burst late in the third quarter, knocking down a three and setting up Walker for a basket. Walker then made a three early in the fourth before Simons scored on the Sixers’ next possession.

When Toronto pulled within six with less than five minutes remaining, Simons…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/hard-win-simons-walker-put-030000489.html

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Publish date : 2026-11-13 03:00:00

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