Ben Simmons’ big game, Matisse Thybulle’s ‘D,’ and popcorngate | Sixers vs. Wizards best/worst

Simmons’ effort silenced his critics, who were vocal after he scored just six points and missed all six of his foul shots in Game 1.

Ben Simmons throws down a dunk in the first half of Game 2 against the Wizards.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer

by Keith Pompey

Published May 27, 2021, 8:41 a.m. ET

A great night for the 76ers turned out to a horrible one for Russell Westbrook.

On a night when the Sixers took a 120-95 Game 2 victory over the Washington Wizards, the biggest memory will be of a fan pouring popcorn on the Wizards point guard on his way to the locker room.

The classless action made it open season for critics of Philly sports fans to bring back the “they throw snowballs at Santa Claus” commentary.

Here’s a look at the best and worst awards from Wednesday night’s game.

Best performance

Ben Simmons gets this. The Sixers point guard had 22 points on 11-for-15 shooting to go with nine rebounds, eight assists, two steals and one block in just 28 minutes, 34 seconds of action. He and the other Sixers starters sat out the fourth quarter of a blowout victory. Simmons’ effort silenced the critics, who were vocal after he scored just six points on 3-for-9 shooting and missed all six of his foul shots in Game 1. Simmons didn’t get to the foul line Wednesday.

Worst performance

Davis Bertans gets this. The Wizards reserve forward is known for his three-point shooting. Well, he will be remembered for missing all of his three-point shots on Wednesday. Bertans went 0-for-4 from the field, all three-pointers, to finish with zero points before fouling out in 23:44.

Best defensive performance

This goes to Matisse Thybulle. The Sixers reserve guard finished with a game-high five blocks to go with four steals. The second-year veteran becomes the first Sixer to have five blocks and four steals in a playoff game. He also became the first NBA player to do so since Golden State’s Draymond Green on May 26, 2018.

Best statistic

This goes to the Sixers blocking a season-high 14 shots. It’s the most blocks in team history for a playoff game. The last time they blocked at least 10 shots in the postseason was on April 13, 2019, against the Brooklyn Nets.

Worst statistic

This goes to the Wizards shooting 2-for-22 on three-pointers. Bradley Beal (1-for-6) and Rui Hachimura (1-for-1) were the only Wizards to make a three-pointer.

Best of the best

This goes to the Sixers taking a two-games-to-none series lead. This marked the first time they’ve done that since winning the first two games in an opening-round series against the New Orleans Hornets in 2003.

Worst of the worst

This award goes to the Sixers fan who poured popcorn on Westbrook. This was a classless action that put a black eye on what was a thrilling game for the Sixers. Now we have to sit through countless videos of the Santa Claus incident and hear commentators bring up negative things about Philly fans.