Simmons’ triple-double paces Sixers to 9th straight win

Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons, center, looks to pass as Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins, left, and center Dewayne Dedmon, right, defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 30, 2018, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)

ATLANTA — Ben Simmons had a triple-double in three quarters, Ersan Ilyasova scored 21 points and the Philadelphia 76ers won their ninth straight game with a 101-91 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

With 13 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, Simmons has five triple-doubles in his last 10 games and 11 overall. The Rookie of the Year candidate did not play after leaving with 3:37 left in the third, giving Philadelphia the kind of performance it needed one game after All-Star center Joel Embiid suffered an orbital eye fracture and a concussion.

Philadelphia jumped out to an 11-point lead twice in the second quarter. The Hawks pulled within three in the first minute of the third, but the Sixers soon put away the game with a 39-15 run that made it 86-59 entering the fourth.

Damion Lee finished with a career-high 20 points and Taurean Prince and Isaiah Taylor each added 12 for Atlanta, the NBA’s second-worst team.

The Sixers, improving to a season-best 15 games over .500, matched the club’s longest winning streak since it had nine straight victories from Feb. 12-March 2, 2003.

JJ Redick scored 11 of his 19 points in the third as Philadelphia did as it pleased with the undermanned Hawks, who learned before the game that scoring and assists leader Dennis Schroder will miss the rest of the season.

Ilyasova had 11 points in the first. Amir Johnson had 11 rebounds in 17 minutes.

TIP-INS

Sixers: Embiid must wait for swelling to reduce before the team sets a date for surgery to repair an orbital fracture of his left eye. The 7-footer, averaging 22.9 points and 11 rebounds, is also in the NBA concussion protocol. He is expected to miss two to four weeks. … Coach Brett Brown called timeout with 2:25 remaining after the Hawks closed within 13, but there was no need to worry. Point guard T.J. McConnell ran down the clock and hit a baseline jumper to end Atlanta’s hopes.

Hawks: Schroder, averaging 19.4 points and 6.2 assists, will miss the final seven games with a medial bone bruise and a sprained left ankle. Schroder underwent an MRI earlier in the day. Expected recovery time is at least two weeks. The fifth-year veteran joins guard Kent Bazemore, the Hawks’ third-leading scorer, on the season-ending injury list.

UP NEXT

76ers: At Charlotte on Sunday.

Hawks: Host Orlando on Sunday.