Ben Simmons stars on both ends in Clippers win

In the Los Angeles Clippers' 122-117 victory over the Chicago Bulls Wednesday night, Simmons scored six points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out eight assists in 18 minutes. He had a steal, a block and just one turnover, continuing the efficient ball distribution he's shown since joining the Clippers in early February.

Simmons has 22 assists in his four games with Los Angeles. The Clippers outscored the Bulls by 15 points with Simmons on the floor. They took control of the game with a 19-6 run that began with a Simmons dunk.

In the second quarter, Simmons made the Clippers' first basket, then assisted on their next four. For the first 4:11 of the second quarter, the Clippers shot 7-of-8, and Simmons assisted on five of those baskets and made one of them.

In the third quarter, the Clippers trailed by two when Simmons entered and he assisted on one basket in a three-point flurry from James Harden.

In the fourth, Simmons had a steal and a blocked shot, and most surprisingly, did damage with his jump shot.

Simmons has shot 13-of-23 as a Clipper, which is the most he's shot since leaving the Philadelphia 76ers. He's an ideal fit with the Clippers, where he backs up center Ivica Zubac yet operates as the primary bench ball-handler. That helps the Clippers maintain spacing even with a non-shooter like Simmons, especially paired with the prolific Bogdan Bogdanovic (4-of-5 on threes Wednesday).

This may have seemed unbelievable when Simmons was sitting to force a trade as a Sixer or rehabbing his injured back for years, but he is looking like a key player on a playoff team. He's no longer a star or even a starter, but he's the backup the Clippers have needed all season.