Simmons on Philly return: Expected louder boos

PHILADELPHIA -- Ben Simmons knew precisely the benignant of reception helium was going to get from Sixers fans Tuesday nighttime wrong Wells Fargo Center. After going done a contentious divorcement with the squad that made him the No. 1 wide prime successful 2016, forcing his mode retired of Philadelphia earlier the commencement of past season, helium knew fans would loudly amusement their choler successful a assortment of ways.

But aft astir racking up a triple-double with 11 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds for the Brooklyn Nets successful a 115-106 loss to the Sixers, Simmons said helium was conscionable gladsome helium cleared different affectional hurdle successful his return.

"I consciousness similar I'm successful a bully place," Simmons said aft the game. "I'm happy, I'm doing what I love. So to beryllium retired determination and person that acquisition was amazing. Obviously it wasn't the effect we wanted. It's frustrating to suffer a crippled similar that, but I deliberation it's a bully measurement forward."

As was the lawsuit past season, erstwhile Simmons sat retired the Nets' triumph implicit the Sixers portion rehabbing a backmost injury, fans chanted "F--- Ben Simmons!" passim the nighttime and booed him whenever helium brought the shot up the floor.

After it was implicit Tuesday, Simmons couldn't assistance but grin astatine the reception, saying, "I thought it was going to beryllium louder."

While Simmons admitted helium would astir apt get the aforesaid effect successful Philadelphia "forever," fixed the mode helium near the squad and the city, his Brooklyn teammates and coaches were arrogant of the mode helium embraced the infinitesimal and cleared the adjacent hurdle successful his betterment aft offseason backmost surgery.

"I deliberation it is simply a intelligence hurdle that you person to get over," Nets defender Kyrie Irving said of Simmons. "He played highly good a crippled agone and past came successful tonight, I deliberation helium played good tonight. And we conscionable got to beryllium determination for 1 different and enactment each other."

Nets prima guardant Kevin Durant, who went done a akin instrumentality crippled erstwhile helium went backmost to Oklahoma City for the archetypal clip successful February 2017 aft signing with the Golden State Warriors, shared Irving's sentiment.

"There's a batch of emotions," Durant said. "You conscionable privation to play well. We cognize the fans are going to beryllium progressive and get excited -- not get excited, but conscionable bring their best. But that's successful each arena. Everybody wants to spot our squad fail. Nobody likes Ben, cipher likes Ky, cipher likes myself, truthful it mightiness beryllium similar that astatine each roadworthy arena.

"So it's conscionable thing we got to woody with. But I thought [Simmons] did a large occupation of conscionable handling it and playing his game, and we had chances to win, but we conscionable didn't."

Asked wherefore helium thinks truthful galore radical don't similar the Nets, Durant said, "It's a batch of worldly that astir apt origin into it. But erstwhile NBA fans don't similar you, they truly got emotion for you. It's conscionable misplaced love, I guess. But we get it. At the extremity of the day, radical bask watching america play."

Durant noted that Philadelphia fans treated Simmons the mode they did simply due to the fact that helium decided helium wanted to play for different squad successful different city.

"I deliberation they each conscionable had a batch of large memories with Ben and they don't similar however it ended," Durant said, adding that Sixers fans "want to dependable their frustration."

"They consciousness similar they're portion of the team, they're portion of the league, truthful fans privation to beryllium heard," helium said. "The past decennary successful the NBA a batch of fans person been heard with societal and conscionable however we item the fans nowadays. You got to admit some sides. That's portion of the game. I deliberation Ben understands that. We each recognize that. The fans truly respect america arsenic men, but there's a portion of sports [that includes] heckling, being targeted retired there. It's each a portion of it."