Ben Simmons has made Philadelphia 76ers history with a rapid triple-double that delivered the team's first victory of the new NBA regular season.
The 76ers cruised to a 127-108 win over the Chicago Bulls in Philadelphia on Thursday with Simmons stacking the score sheet with 13 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists and two blocked shots.
It is the first time in the history of the franchise a player posted a triple-double in their opening home game of the season.
The Australian 22-year-old achieved it before the end of the third-quarter and did it with an around-the-back assist to an open 76ers forward Robert Covington who sank a three-pointer.
Simmons had 12 triple-doubles last season on his way to winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award and incredibly achieved it against the Bulls on Thursday by only taking eight field goals.
Despite the big numbers, 76ers' coach Brett Brown singled out Simmons' defence.
"He really can be elite defensively," Brown told reporters after the game.
"He took eight shots and had a triple-double and just impacts the game all over the place."
76ers centre Joel Embiid, who overpowered the Bulls with 30 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks, said Simmons size for a point guard meant he should average a triple-double for the season if the team feeds the Australian the ball.
"He's six foot ten (208cm tall) so I guess it's a little easier to get rebounds and he's a great passer so we just have to make sure we give him the ball and he'll do his job," Embiid said.
The 76ers needed the win after the Boston Celtics crushed them by 18 points in Tuesday's season opener.
The Bulls, savaged by injury, were led by guard Zach LaVine's 30 points.
The 76ers' Australian rookie Jonah Bolden played the final two minutes and missed his one field goal attempt.
Meanwhile, a 26-point haul, 12 rebounds and six assists by star recruit LeBron James could not prevent the LA Lakers from dropping their opener 128-119 to the Trailblazers in Oregon.
The Miami Heat finished also off strongly in the fourth quarter to pip the Wizards 113-112 in Washington.
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