Midway through Thursday's third quarter, Sixers guard Ben Simmons found himself isolated on Celtics center Aron Baynes on the left wing.
Simmons represents a mismatch for basically anyone as a 6-foot-10 point guard, but particularly rival big men, who lack the lateral quickness and foot speed to slow him off the dribble. Simmons would detonate on Baynes in 3 … 2 …
Never.
Simmons feinted half-heartedly towards the basket before dishing to a teammate. It might've been his most passive possession in a night full of them, and the story of the Celtics' 108-103 victory wasn't so much the host's stirring comeback as Simmons' disappearing act.
Simmons plays selflessly, but this was absurd. In 31 minutes he took just four shots and missed them all. A single lonely free throw is all that kept him from going scoreless in a one-point performance that, as much as anything else, must have the Celtics believing they can win this series, injuries be damned.
— Saint Nick (@NickAndOne_) May 4, 2018It got so bad that Twitter user @NickAndOne_ earned himself more than 10 thousand likes and retweets by doctoring Wilt Chamberlain's famous 100-point game photo to feature Simmons' head and the sheet of paper with a one on it, but the two zeroes erased.
It got so bad that Celtics forward Jayson Tatum of "He's a rookie!" fame badly outplayed Simmons for the second straight game, constantly attacking in marked contrast to Simmons pacifism.
It got so bad that Sixers coach Brett Brown was asked if he considered sticking with backup point guard T.J. McConnell over the final five minutes as Philly built a five-point lead. Brown opted for Simmons and the Celtics closed the game on a 15-5 run.
"The decision do you go with T.J. still or do you come back to Ben Simmons? I'm coming back to Ben Simmons," Brown said. "I'm coming back to Ben. He's had a helluva year. I think he's the Rookie of the Year. I think he's going to have to learn to play in these environments, and I'm going back to Ben."
Watching Simmons struggle evoked shades of Magic Johnson in the 1984 Finals. Magic famously dribbled out the clock in regulation of one game before losing in overtime and never found his stride as the Celtics pulled off the seven-game upset. Johnson used that series as motivation for the rest of his career and ended up winning five titles, including two rematches with the Celtics.
It remains to be seen how Simmons reacts, and returning home may be all he needs to reset. But for now, it's striking not only how completely the Celtics have silenced him, but how disengaged and lost hie looks on the floor.
They've done it with physicality at the point of attack, with forward Marcus Morris particularly successful at locking him down.
"The way Boston is guarding us in general is something that I respect," Brown said. "I'm kind of redundant -- they are elite guarding their own men. I think there's a physicality and a switchability that they've got apples for apples on many, many different matchups. With Ben, I give them credit. They do a good job of defending him. There's an element of physicality that I feel they've applied to all of us. Tonight Ben struggled as we see. But I give Boston's defense a lot of credit and respect."
When Simmons is right, he's a force breaking down a defense and finding either passing lanes or dunks. The Celtics have sagged and dared him to shoot -- he didn't make a 3-pointer all season -- but they've stayed close enough to keep him from building the head of steam that makes him unstoppable. In that sense, their first round matchup with Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo undoubtedly helped.
But when he's wrong, he looks like the guy who couldn't even lead LSU to the tournament during his one-and-done freshman season.
"The strategy is guard him any way you can," Morris said. "But that's some in-house stuff. If we can limit his shots in general, limit the easy plays, the easy layups, you'll do a great job on him."
Simmons is one of the primary reasons the Sixers were considered overwhelming favorites in the series, especially with Jaylen Brown hobbled and the Celtics already woefully outgunned minus Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Daniel Theis.
But after posting a quiet 18-7-6 in Game 1, he was truly invisible in Game 2. He's an incomprehensible minus-44 in two games, and for all the times we've been told that stat fails to paint the full picture, this time it feels right. McConnell, by the way, is plus-21 in 23 minutes.
"It was mainly what I did to myself," Simmons said. "Mentally, I was thinking too much, over-thinking the plays. Wasn't just out there, flowing, playing the way that I play, which is free. Obviously I know what their game plan is. I've got to play my game."
Simmons is the key. Stop him, and the Sixers go down with him. The Celtics just need to figure him out for two more games and they can say hello to their second straight conference final.
