PHILADELPHIA — A five-piece Chick-fil-a nuggets and a hoarse voice field.
Not to say an unlikely 115-106 win over the Nets in a recreation the place Philly’s three greatest gamers every sat with foot accidents.
After 76ers followers mercilessly booed star ahead Ben Simmons from the pregame warmups to the ultimate buzzer in his first recreation again on the Wells Fargo Center because the blockbuster James Harden deal, they left the sector with a five-piece hen nugget coupon — rewarded after Simmons missed back-to-back free throws — and a strained speak field for his or her troubles after handing the Nets certainly one of their most disappointing losses in a season chock filled with them.
The Sixers have been with out Joel Embiid, James Harden and budding star Tyrese Maxey. The Nets, who’re as shut to completely wholesome as they’ve been all season, have been 7.5-point favorites.
That all went out the window as soon as the sport grew to become concerning the villain.
Forty minutes after Simmons spent prolonged time signing paraphernalia for an early group of followers who cheered him by means of his pregame particular person exercise routine, the opposite 99% of followers within the area booed the star ahead who as soon as wore their jersey.
The booing started 20 minutes earlier than tipoff when Simmons darted onto the ground for the layup traces.
It was deafening. It was relentless. It was the pent-up vitriol the rabid fan base preserved particularly for the second Simmons stepped foot onto the Wells Fargo Center flooring as an energetic opponent, with the one cheers coming when he made a foul play or dedicated a foul.
On numerous events, followers chanted “F—k Ben Simmons,” together with in rubbish time, as Simmons watched from the sidelines.
And it was anticipated, to say the least.
The Sixers fan response to Simmons’ return to to Philly was the worst-kept secret in all of sports activities for the week. Arena employees questioned if followers would cross any traces. Simmons, himself, joked Sixers followers would by no means let a season away from the court docket deter them from heckling him all night time.
“In Philly?!” he stated with a face that went viral. “Come on now. I know what’s coming. Philly fans, one thing about them: They’re incredible.”
Simmons first acquired a style as an inactive participant on the Nets’ roster throughout their March 10 journey to Philadelphia final season.
That day, the booing began outdoors the Nets workforce lodge.
This, nonetheless, was totally different. It’s totally different getting booed as a spectator versus an energetic participant. It hits totally different when the boos come each time you contact the ball, irrespective of how fleeting the contact could be.
It hits totally different when these boos come for a poor free throw shooter each time he’s as much as the charity stripe.
It hits totally different when these boos finally compound into momentum for the house workforce.
The Nets led by eight however finally surrendered their benefit and trailed by as many as 16 factors.
And because the wheels fell off because of the Nets’ incapacity to get stops towards a severely brief handed Sixers squad, it grew to become clear the boos have been the least of Brooklyn’s issues.
The Nets couldn’t cease Tobias Harris, who’s the fourth greatest participant on a stacked Sixers roster. They couldn’t hold both of Philly’s backup bigs Montrezl Harrell or Paul Reed off the boards or out of the paint. They couldn’t comprise Philly’s backup guards, Shake Milton or De’Anthony Melton.
And whereas Simmons continued to indicate progress in his willingness to assault the rim, his defensive depth and the athleticism that was hampered because of low season again surgical procedure, the Nets nonetheless regarded discombobulated.
They nonetheless have a great deal of work to do.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com