Ben Simmons has explained the thinking behind one of the most scrutinized moments of his career – his decision to pass instead of attempting an open dunk late in Game 7 against the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 playoffs.
Simmons said the play unfolded too quickly for him to recognize how much room he actually had near the basket.
After spinning toward the rim, he anticipated defensive help from Trae Young and noticed Matisse Thybulle moving into position.
“In the moment, I just spun and I’m assuming Trae’s going to come over quicker. I’m thinking he’s going to come full blown, and I see Matisse going. Matisse is athletic and can get up. I’m thinking, ‘Okay, quick pass. He’s going to flush it,’ not knowing how much space there was.”
Rather than deliberately avoiding the shot, Simmons described the pass as an instinctive read made in a matter of seconds.
His immediate reaction was simply to move on and focus on Philadelphia’s next possession.
“It happened so quick that you just make a read. And in the playoffs, you need to make the right decisions the majority of the time. I mean, bro, it happened and I was like, ‘Okay, shit. Now we’ve got to go make another play.’ That’s how I’m thinking. I didn’t realize how everyone’s posting. I’m like, ‘Was it that big.’”
Only afterward did Simmons fully understand how much attention the possession had received.
Looking back at the footage, he acknowledged that attacking the rim himself would have been the better decision.
“When I look at it now, I’m like, ‘Man, I should’ve just punched that shit.’ But it didn’t happen, and I was okay with that. I can live with that. Everyone’s trying to kill me over one play. Does everyone want to watch film with me, like the whole arena, and I could dissect everything if you guys want. But that’s not realistic.”
