Getty Ben Simmons of the Nets defends Zion Williamson of the Pelicans.
The Philadelphia 76ers are hard at work preparing for the home opener. The Sixers will look to bounce back from Tuesday’s loss when they take on the Milwaukee Bucks on October 20 at Wells Fargo Center. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.
The hometown crowd has been in a frenzy in recent days, stemming from a dominant 6-0 start by the Philadelphia Eagles and an unexpected playoff run by the Philadelphia Phillies. Yes, it’s a wonderful time to be a Philly sports fan. Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, things aren’t going very well for Ben Simmons and the Brooklyn Nets.
Ben Simmons: “I think I was just too excited, honestly.”
Twitter was abuzz on Thursday morning following Simmons’ lackluster debut in a Nets uniform. The diva point guard fouled out in 23 minutes and Brooklyn lost by 23 points to the New Orleans Pelicans. Simmons finished with 4 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. It was ugly. It was hard to watch. And Simmons’ fouling out was not “smart,” according to Kyrie Irving. Needless to say, Sixers fans were happy to gloat over Brooklyn’s misfortune.
Kyrie Irving on Ben Simmons:
“We told him in the locker room: he is a valuable piece for us and we need him out there. And fouling out is not an option.”
(via @SNYNets)
Simmons took 3 total shots in the game while going 0-for-2 from the free-throw line. Compare that to 35 points for James Harden in a vintage performance. Simmons “is who he is” at this point, as Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire pointed out. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said Simmons was “awful” while Nets Daily said he looked “rusty.” Simmons fouled out with 9:01 left in the fourth quarter.
“If I’m not aggressive, this team’s not going … you know?,” Simmons said, via The Athletic’s Alex Schiffer. “Like if I’m not pushing the ball, if I’m not finding my guys if I’m not getting to the rim than those easy shots that we get now are not going to happen. So I got to be the motor.”
James Harden Game 1:
35 PTS
5 3PT
12-12 FT
7 AST
8 REB
Ben Simmons Game 1:
2PTS
0 3PT
0-0 FT
5 AST ( 3 Turnovers )
5 REB
Who won the trade? 😂
Sixers Trade ‘Frosty Freeze Out’ for ‘Bricken for Chicken’
One of the most popular promotions in basketball is going by the wayside. The Sixers have ended their relationship with Wendy’s and replaced the “Frosty Freeze Out” (sorry Dwight Howard) with a brand new Chick-fil-A “Bricken for Chicken” promotion.
It’ll work the same way as the Frosty Freeze Out did, just trade ice cream for fried chicken. Here’s how it works: 5-count Chick-fil-A® Nuggets the first time an opposing player misses two consecutive free throws; 8-count Chick-fil-A® Nuggets the second time it happens; 12-count Chick-fil-A® Nuggets the third time. All are redeemable via the Chik-fil-A app.
Ben Simmons will be getting Sixers fans a lot of Nuggets!
Wendy’s Freeze Out is no more at @sixers games
It is now “Bricken for Chicken” with @ChickfilA
Joel Embiid Focused on Winning Championships
The Boston Celtics put the clamps on Joel Embiid in the season opener. Despite recording a double-double — 26 points, 15 rebounds — the 7-footer looked a bit rusty, although credit the opposition for an excellent defensive gameplan. They threw evryone out him: Al Horford, Noah Vonleh, Grant Williams, even Jayson Tatum. Not the best start to a season Embiid has dedicated to winning a championship. It’s NBA Finals or bust.
“The whole notion of getting to the first round, second round, conference finals, Finals, that don’t matter,” Embiid told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “If you don’t win it all, it doesn’t matter why you lost. It probably makes it even worse … you feel like you just frickin’ wasted time. ‘Congrats, you made it to the conference finals. Congrats, you made it to the Finals.’ Did you win anything? Nope.”
7-footers should not be able to handle and create like this
Joel Embiid is about to be on one this year 👀
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Sixers Twitter Roasts Ben Simmons: ‘Bricken for Chicken’ Promotion