Ben Simmons etches name into records with triple-double

The Philadelphia 76ers’ Australian rookie Ben Simmons continues to etch his name into the NBA history books.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons drives to the hoop against Miami

The Philadelphia 76ers’ Australian rookie Ben Simmons continues to etch his name into the NBA history books.

The 21-year-old had the first playoff triple-double by a rookie in nearly 40 years as the 76ers outlasted the Miami Heat 106-102 to move within one victory of the ­second round.

The 76ers lead their Eastern Conference series 3-1 and can eliminate the Heat in game five in Philadelphia on Wednesday (AEST).

Simmons scored 17 points to go with 13 rebounds and 10 assists to become the first rookie since Magic Johnson in 1980 to post a playoff triple-double. Simmons is averaging a triple-double in his first playoff series with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists a game.

“I think it just means I’m doing my job,” said Simmons, determinedly not getting carried away with a rookie year that places him alongside Johnson and another great, Oscar Robertson.

“I think stats that I’ve averaged all season have been up there so it’s not really anything new for the team or myself.”

The 76ers’ JJ Redick scored 24 points and Joel Embiid finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Dwyane Wade led all scorers with 25 points off the bench for the Heat, who led by 12 points in the second half before letting a game they almost certainly had to have, slip away.

Simmons ended up being in the middle of another wild scene ­involving the two teams.

Tensions have bubbled over throughout the highly physical ­series.

Embiid slammed into Josh Richardson, and Richardson stayed down for more than a ­minute, before eventually getting helped to his feet and to the Miami locker room.

Hardly anyone noticed.

All eyes were on the other end, where Heat guard Goran Dragic was shoved to the floor by the 76ers’ Robert Covington. Miami’s James Johnson — a black belt and MMA fighter — took exception and went toward Covington, so Simmons came in for a few words.

It wound up taking two referees, two Heat coaches and a few players to get everyone separated and Winslow needed stitches to close a gash over his left eye.

SIMMONS’ TRIPLE DOUBLE, Double figures in three of five categories – points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocked shots

In Salt Lake City, Joe Ingles dropped three point bombs, Rudy Gobert was the dominant big man and Ricky Rubio ran riot with a ­triple-double in the Utah Jazz’s 115-102 drubbing of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Jazz’s win yesterday gave them a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven NBA playoff series, with ­Ingles hitting five three-pointers in his 21 points.

Gobert had 18 points and 12 ­rebounds and Rubio had 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

The Thunder’s big three of Russell Westbrook, Carmelo ­Anthony and Paul George wilted in the face of the Jazz’s onslaught and the constant roar of the Utah home crowd.

Westbrook and Anthony, both with 14 points for the game, went scoreless in the final quarter, while George had seven of his 23 points.

Game four is in Salt Lake City tomorrow.

Also yesterday, the New ­Orleans Pelicans, led by Anthony Davis’s franchise playoff-record 47 points completed a first-round playoff sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers with a 131-123 victory.

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ shooting guard Jimmy Butler hit four three-pointers in a total of 28, and Karl-Anthony Towns had ­18 points and 16 rebounds in their 121-105 defeat of the top-ranked Houston Rockets.

It was the usually under-achieving Timberwolves’ first post-season victory in 14 years, ­although the Rockets still hold a 2-1 series lead.

AAP