Everything Ben Simmons’ tumultuous return left in Philly: close to triple-double but loss to 76ers

There are few more hostile environments in NBA geography than Philadelphia Y Ben Simmons had the full experience in his first game against the 76ers in his return to City of brotherly love. The Australian player has been the focus of local fans a year after forcing the transfer of the franchise and declaring he was in no condition to play for the club anymore.

The decibels they increased every time Simmons accepted or interfered in one way or another with the action. And in the mistakes or failures that the stands had, they celebrated them like a 76ers basket.

A meeting in which the 26-year-old figure was the focus, all eyes were on him and his possible reactions to the environment. Simmons responded with a proper performance, as has been usual for him since his return, with a highlight reel 11 points, 7 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks. His Brooklyn Nets did not know how to take advantage of their opportunity in a duel in which neither James Harden, Joel Embiid nor Tyrese Maxey were available for the opposing team. Another testament to the inconsistency of the New York team that lost 115-106 facing the 76ers, ending his two-game winning streak.

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The Nets player started the duel strong, leading the decision making and even contributing as a scorer. Whether it was because of the motivation to play against his former club or because he is feeling better each time, the version of the Aussie is close to what was expected of him.

This move reflects that perfectly: He manages to block and then transition and finish without an opponent in the ring.

And to close out the second quarter, Simmons put on another great display of his skills, forcing a turnover and connecting with Kevin Durant on a layup:

Or that pitch-to-pitch pass to Royce O’Neal…

However, at his reunion Simmons With Philadelphia in the official game there were some not-so-game-related highlights as well.

Faced with boos and boos, he reacted by raising his hands when he made two consecutive free throws. in true Michael Jordan style:

Later it had its pros and cons George Niang, which was solved by a type 1 flagrant foul for the 76ers.

Overall it was a good game for Ben Simmons, especially at the back, contributing to the defense as the linchpin of the assist system, but also on individual pairings. He’s slowly looking more comfortable working as an infielder in Brooklyn and with pitchers around him.

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