SIXER FANS BOO SIMMONS
Tobias Harris scored 24 points and a spirited Philadelphia 76ers team playing without Joel Embiid and James Harden spoiled Ben Simmons’ homecoming with a 115-106 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.
Simmons had 11 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds to the tune of steady boos. Kyrie Irving scored 23 points and Kevin Durant had 20 before coach Jacque Vaughn pulled his starting lineup with 3 minutes left in the game.
The expected marquee matchup was dimmed with Embiid out with a sprained left foot, Harden still out with a tendon strain in his right foot and starting guard Tyrese Maxey also out with a broken left foot.
Embiid vs. Simmons will have to wait.
Simmons vs. 76ers fans was pretty good.
Simmons was heckled, drew a flagrant foul, shushed the crowd on a layup, and even Jordanshrugged
76ers 115, Nets 106
after hitting free throws. Of most importance for a player who has battled mental health issues, Simmons played with poise as boos rained on him for the bulk of his 32 minutes.
He already had three assists when he went to the free-throw line early in the game. Simmons was booed but never looked rattled and sank both baskets. Simmons had a reverse layup minutes later for his first bucket.
Sixers fans were mostly well-behaved — save for a couple of short-lived “(expletive) Ben Simmons!” chants — and mostly saved the four-letter words for tape on the back of their old No. 25 jerseys.
Simmons and secondyear Sixer Georges Niang tussled late in the first half and Niang gave his former teammate a light stiff-arm to the body that earned a technical foul.
Harden couldn’t believe the call from the bench. Sixers owner Josh Harris looked appalled.
Simmons missed the technical free throw and the crowd roared as much as it did all game. Simmons, though, hit the court for a steal and knocked the loose ball to Durant for a bucket.
Suns 115, Lakers 105:
Mikal Bridges and Devin Booker each scored 25 points to lead host Phoenix past Los Angeles.
The Suns, playing without point guard Chris Paul for the seventh straight game, have beaten the Lakers five straight times in the regular season and eight straight including the playoffs.
Anthony Davis had 37 points and 21 rebounds for the Lakers, who had won three in a row. It was Los Angeles’ fifth game in a row without LeBron James, out with a left adductor strain.
Kings 113, Grizzlies 109:
De’Aaron Fox had 32 points and eight rebounds, Harrison Barnes added 26 points and visiting Sacramento won its seventh straight.
Ja Morant led Memphis with 34 points, six assists and seven rebounds. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 22 points and five blocks and Dillon Brooks finished with 14 points as the Grizzlies lost their fourth of five.
Kevin Huerter scored 18 points and Malik Monk finished with 14 points for the Kings.
Pistons 110, Nuggets 108: Bojan Bogdanovic scored 22 points and visiting Detroit snapped a seven-game skid.
Denver’s Nikola Jokic had 31 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds after missing the past three games while in the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols.
The Pistons won their first road game this season; they had been 0-10. Alec Burks finished with 21 points for Detroit.
Monday’s late result
Clippers 121, Jazz 114: Norman Powell scored 30 points off the bench on 10of-15 shooting and Reggie Jackson had 27 as host Los Angeles beat Utah. Kawhi Leonard scored eight points in 23 minutes.