Watch: Royce O'Neale completes triple-double in coolest way possible
In five NBA seasons, Royce O'Neale had never had a triple-double. He completed one at the most crucial time Thursday night.
Going into the Nets' final possession with the score tied at 107-107, O'Neale had nine points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high 11 assists (his previous high was eight). But when Kevin Durant's jumper bounced off the rim, O'Neale snuck in for a game-winning, triple-double-completing tip-in.
"Feels great," O'Neale told reporters. "Whether the shots are falling or not, I'm going to play all 48, and play hard. I'm just going to make plays that impact the game any way I can. First triple-double and a game-winner? I'll take it."
O'Neal shot just 5-14, but basket number five was the biggest of the game. His teammate Kevin Durant scored 35, backup Yuta Watanabe had 20, and Ben Simmons had a season-high 15 points on perfect 6-6 shooting from the field. He also added 13 rebounds and seven assists, just three dimes short of his own triple-double, in what was easily his best game as a Net.
Simmons also confronted his longtime nemesis: Clutch free throws. With 3:30 left and Brooklyn clinging to a three-point lead, Portland started hacking Simmons every time the Nets got the ball. But after he made 3-4 from the line, the Blazers abandoned the "Hack-a-Ben." Simmons eventually fouled out on a questionable over-the-back call with 24 seconds left.
Durant had nothing but praise for his teammate.
"He had no doubts when he walked up there," Durant told reporters. "I felt super confident when he went up there...He did it all for us tonight."
Now the key for Simmons and the Nets is doing it every night. They got a step closer in Portland.
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