Ben Simmons bites back at Jared Dudley after Brooklyn star’s reality check

Ben Simmons gave a cold-blooded reply to a rival’s sledge when he dismissed Jared Dudley’s credentials and the entire Nets team.

Ben Simmons may be the reigning Rookie of the Year and fresh off a sizzling triple-double in Game Two of Philadelphia’s playoff series against Brooklyn but he’s not feeling the love from everyone — and he doesn’t care, hitting back at Nets star Jared Dudley.

Despite posting 18 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds as the 76ers squared the series up at 1-1 after a shock loss in Game One, Simmons was given a brutal reality check by Dudley. An NBA veteran of more than 10 years, the 33-year-old added some more spice to the teams’ postseason clash by claiming the Aussie superstar isn’t as hot as everyone might believe.

“Ben Simmons is a great player in transition,” Dudley said. “Once you slow him up in the half-court, I think he’s average.”

It’s a bold call for a player who averaged 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game during the regular season, but one a brutally honest Dudley obviously believes is true.

However, Simmons couldn’t care less what Dudley believes. When asked to give his thoughts on the one-liner, the Sixers star dismissively told Keith Pompey of the Philly Inquirer: “That’s coming from Jared Dudley. Come on.”

Simmons also said the Nets will need to get more physical if they want to compete in Game Three, but doesn’t believe they can match it with Philly.

“I think they need to, they have to (get more physical), which is what we expect,” Simmons said. “Physically I don’t think they can (match it with the 76ers).”

#Sixers PG @BenSimmons25 responds to Jared Dudley’s comment about the #NBAAllStar being “average” in half court. pic.twitter.com/0BQTtHOnUL

— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) April 18, 2019

Dudley had success defending Simmons in Game One before he missed Game Two with a calf issue and explained what the key was to limiting the 22-year-old’s impact on the scoreboard.

“He’s a player that when he picks up speed, he’s a load, so you have to have guys with him. It’s taking away his easy baskets,” Dudley said.

Guarded by Dudley in Game 1
Ben Simmons 2 pts on 22 possessions
Mike Scott 0 pts on 11 possessions
Boban Marjanovic 0 pts on 7 poss
Joel Embiid 0 pts on 3 poss

Total: 2 pts on 43 possessions

Tough loss for Brooklyn https://t.co/RvsONKpyXA

— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) April 15, 2019

Simmons was booed by fans in a disappointing Game One showing when he banked just nine points and three assists, but roared back to life in Game Two as the Sixers set a franchise playoff points record in their 145-123 win.

Although Simmons’ triple-double was impressive, former Boomers star and San Antonio Spur Shane Heal didn’t believe the team’s performance was convincing.

“Ben Simmons bounced back from a bad start,” Heal said on At Odds, speaking of the Australian’s Game One shocker.

“They won Game Two and he had a triple-double but I am not convinced about Philly.

“They’re $1.30 to win the series and they won’t be getting any of my money.”

Simmons said coach Brett Brown chewed him out at halftime of Game Two — along with other players — for failing to follow the game plan on defence. The spray worked and the 76ers came out and dominated the second half to level the series.

Dudley shut Simmons down in Game One but the Aussie was unstoppable in Game Two.

Simmons wasn’t just coming under fire for his on-court shortcomings with the Nets angry at the Sixers star for laughing during a press conference when teammate Joel Embiid was apologising for elbowing Brooklyn’s Jarrett Allen.

Embiid was saying sorry when Simmons started cracking up next to him.

“I saw the replay and obviously it wasn’t intentional. I got him pretty good but I’m sorry about it,” Embiid said before Simmons started chuckling, prompting the same reaction from the All-Star centre.

“I’m not usually humble, that’s why he’s laughing,” Embiid added.

Brooklyn guard Caris LeVert said the apology showed a lack of respect.

“We didn’t really like that. We thought that was kind of disrespectful, especially after the elbow he threw,” LeVert said. “It is what it is. There’s no love lost. It’s a playoff series. We expect that.”

Dudley also took aim at the Philadelphia pair. “I felt a certain type of way for it just because you’re laughing and someone could have really gotten hurt,” he said.

“That’s been Embiid’s personality, but just because it’s your personality doesn’t mean it’s right.

“So, for us, you can either get even however you want to do it, but the biggest thing for us to get even is winning Game Three.”

Sixers' Joel Embiid & Ben Simmons crack up laughing while Embiid was trying to apologize for flagrant elbow to Nets' Jarrett Allen during Game 2 win: "I got him pretty good but I'm sorry about it. it wasn't intentional. .... I'm not usually humble that's why he's laughing." pic.twitter.com/Ll1wuTHEk3

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) April 16, 2019

Dudley’s assessment of Simmons comes as the 76ers slammed a report as “a steaming pile of trash” that claimed the Aussie missed a game because he was out partying and the team’s general manager contemplated trading him.

The New York Daily News story also alleged Brown had lost the 76ers’ locker room and would be sacked if they did not win their first-round playoff series.

“This is one of the most irresponsible hack jobs I’ve ever seen in more than a decade of working in sports,” 76ers’ vice president of communications Dave Sholler wrote on Twitter.

“Factual inaccuracies, made-up stories, and references to convos that never happened.

“This is a steaming pile of trash.”

RELATED: Simmons ‘hack job’ slammed

The story claimed Simmons sat out of the 76ers’ March 25 21-point loss to the Orlando Magic because he had been partying the previous night in Orlando. The report, citing “a source close to the team”, originally claimed Simmons was partying in Miami with girlfriend Kendall Jenner but the newspaper corrected it to change the location to Orlando.

Jenner was in LA at the time.

With AAP