Simmons' taunt backfires in Philly homecoming

2 years ago 85

Tobias Harris scored 24 points and a spirited Philadelphia 76ers squad playing without Joel Embiid and James Harden spoiled Ben Simmons' homecoming with a 115-106 triumph implicit the Brooklyn Nets.

Simmons had 11 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds to the tune of dependable boos. Kyrie Irving scored 23 points and Kevin Durant had 20 earlier manager Jacque Vaughn pulled his starting lineup with 3 minutes near successful the game.

The expected marquee matchup was dimmed with Embiid retired with a sprained near foot, Harden inactive retired with a tendon strain successful his close ft and starting defender Tyrese Maxey besides retired with a breached near foot.

Simmons was heckled, drew a flagrant foul, shushed the assemblage connected a layup, and adjacent Jordan-shrugged aft hitting escaped throws.

Of astir value for a subordinate who has battled intelligence wellness issues, Simmons played with poise arsenic boos rained connected him for the bulk of his 32 minutes.

"I thought it was going to beryllium louder," said Simmons connected the boos from the 76ers fans successful attendance aft the game.

He already had 3 assists erstwhile helium went to the free-throw enactment aboriginal successful the game. Simmons was booed but ne'er looked rattled and sank some baskets. Simmons had a reverse layup minutes aboriginal for his archetypal bucket.

Sixers fans were mostly well-behaved — prevention for a mates of short-lived “(expletive) Ben Simmons!” chants — and mostly saved the four-letter words for portion connected the backmost of their aged No.25 jerseys.

Simmons and second-year Sixer Georges Niang tussled precocious successful the archetypal fractional and Niang gave his erstwhile teammate a airy stiff-arm to the assemblage that earned a method foul.

Harden couldn’t judge the telephone from the bench. Sixers proprietor Josh Harris looked appalled.

Simmons missed the method escaped propulsion and the assemblage roared arsenic overmuch arsenic it did each game. Simmons, though, deed the tribunal for a bargain and knocked the escaped shot to Durant for a bucket.

The Sixers inactive took a 63-57 pb into the break.

It wasn’t each jeers, each game. Simmons did marque 76ers fans spell chaotic implicit him erstwhile helium missed consecutive escaped throws successful the 2nd fractional and triggered a escaped fast-food chickenhearted promotion.

Simmons averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists implicit 4 seasons with Philadelphia, which drafted him retired of LSU, wherever helium played the paint, outweighed his different talented antiaircraft and playmaking talents.

Simmons’ narration with the Sixers deteriorated pursuing the 2021 playoffs and helium demanded a trade.

Simmons made a astonishment instrumentality to the Sixers soon earlier past play opened but was promptly kicked retired of signifier and suspended for 1 game.

The punishment didn’t matter; the No.1 prime of the 2016 draught ne'er had immoderate volition of playing.

And helium ne'er played for the Sixers again.

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