via Getty
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 28: Ben Simmons #10 of the Brooklyn Nets looks out during game against the Toronto Raptors at Barclays Center on February 28, 2022 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michelle Farsi/Getty Images)
via Getty
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 28: Ben Simmons #10 of the Brooklyn Nets looks out during game against the Toronto Raptors at Barclays Center on February 28, 2022 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michelle Farsi/Getty Images)
Ben Simmons made his much-awaited return to the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday. The Sixers traded Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets after he held out on playing for them. The media and several people from the Sixers warned him he was not welcome back at the arena and should be ready for constant heckling.
And the night started exactly as expected. The fans greeted him with a wall of boos when he was warming up with his team. Even though Simmons is not in the lineup, he still warmed up with his team as he gets ready to make his return. The Sixers fans showed no mercy to Simmons every time he touched the ball. When he dunked in the warmup, the crowd went berserk.
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Then, at the end of the first quarter, a chant broke out that rippled across the arena.
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And this wasn’t the end. A Sixers fan was also thrown out for heckling Ben Simmons. Senior NBA reporter Shams Charania said that the security removed a fan from his seat after he was yelling at Ben.
A Philadelphia fan who has been yelling toward Nets’ Ben Simmons has been removed from his seat to exit the arena.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 11, 2022
NBA Twitter mocks the Philadelphia 76ers after a fan gets ejected for heckling Ben Simmons
The NBA Twitter had a field day at the Sixers. They trolled them for their embarrassing display. Here are some of the best reactions:
Best defense the Sixers played all night https://t.co/Vn29cSOfnx
— Raj C. (@RajChipalu) March 11, 2022
https://twitter.com/CurryFangirl30/status/1502114154982875138?s=20&t=JtZu3ze6EUdk7vNzEZYV3w
https://twitter.com/osicash/status/1502114158401273890?s=20&t=JtZu3ze6EUdk7vNzEZYV3w
Brooklyn won the trade. We all know who Harden is when the pressure is high with all due respect. Pissing off two of the greatest scorers the NBA will ever see has to be the biggest fuck up in NBA History. pic.twitter.com/LvZcOKUGW6
— rodlo 🪬 (@roddystr) March 11, 2022
Which one? There’s a lot of fans leaving I can’t tell
— NH (@NetsHive) March 11, 2022
The funny thing is Sixers scapegoated Simmons last year and didn’t realize the real problem was Doc Rivers 😂
— Од (@the_od) March 11, 2022
https://twitter.com/baby_face_goat/status/1502114185680809990?s=20&t=JtZu3ze6EUdk7vNzEZYV3w
Sixers fans tonight: pic.twitter.com/1GmQN0oBYy
— Rosa Parks’ Burner Account (@Rosasburner) March 11, 2022
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The Nets embarrass the Sixers
The Nets were almost at full strength as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving both returned to the lineup. Even though Simmons was unavailable, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond were back in the lineup as they went up against the former team. James Harden also was playing against the Nets and he also had a point to prove.
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But the Nets had other plans. They started off the game hot, and they built a 17 point lead at the end of the first quarter. By the end of the half, that lead ballooned to 21. The Net showed no mercy as they kept on piling it up. They had a lead of 36 points at one point in the game. It was an embarrassing loss to the Sixers as they lost 129-100. Durant, Irving, and Curry combined to score 87 points between them. Harden had a poor outing as he ended with only 11 points, while Embiid finished with 27 points. It was an off night for the Sixers as they shot less than 33 percent from the field. They will hope they can get back on track in their next game against the Orlando Magic.
