It was the perfect response from Simmons, who was widely tipped to be picked on the bench for the NBA All-Star game in his rookie season after narrowly missing out on being a starter – but with the reserves being selected by coaches rather than fans, players and the media, he was bypassed for several players who had received fewer votes than him originally.

The win sees Philadelphia cement their place inside the top eight in the Eastern Conference at just past the midway point of the season, meaning that a play-off appearance since 2011-12 is in sight.

One other consolation to his All-Star snub was that Simmons, along with teammates Joel Embiid and Dario Saric, was selected for the NBA's Rising Stars game, one of the curtain raisers to the main event on All-Star Weekend, which takes place from the 16th to 18th of February in Los Angeles.

The three Sixers will be a part of the World Team, comprised of international players, and will play a team of first and second-year players from the U.S.