Revenge-minded Sixers fans packed into Wells Fargo Center Thursday night, paying an obscene amount for the chance to boo Ben Simmons in his return to Philadelphia. However, Simmons, who spent the evening in street clothes (it’s anyone's guess when he’ll resume playing), got the last laugh, watching as his former team collapsed like a house of cards.
Suffering his first loss as a Sixer, James Harden went ice cold, imploding to the tune of 11 points on anemic 3-for-17 shooting. Brooklyn led wire to wire, feeding its division rival a fat slice of humble pie in a 129-100 laugher that had Sixers fans—at least the ones that didn’t bolt for the exits—booing their own players.
All eyes were on Simmons, but the former Rookie of the Year wasn’t the only one with an axe to grind Thursday night. Still seething from being traded last month, Seth Curry stuck it to his father-in-law, Doc Rivers, by hanging 24 points on Philly, sinking 10-of-14 shots including a dagger three right in front of the Sixers’ bench. Curry let that one sit for a minute, roaming the Sixers’ sideline before heading back to his own huddle.
With plenty of bad blood to go around, Sixers/Nets has quickly become one of the league’s best rivalries, with fans of both teams crossing their fingers for a rematch in this year’s postseason. Frustrating as this season has been for the Nets, they’re starting to show a pulse, looking lethal as ever Thursday night with Kevin Durant (25 points, 14 rebounds) and Kyrie Irving (22 points, five assists) both firing on all cylinders.
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