NBA live: Ben Simmons fouls out in Brooklyn debut as Nets hammered by New Orleans

Ben Simmons’ new start in Brooklyn is off to the rockiest of starts — and the critics’ claws are out. Here’s what the Aussie had to say after his foul-out shocker in his Nets’ debut.

If Ben Simmons was hoping to silence the naysayers from the get-go in Brooklyn, he did himself no favours in his Nets debut.

The Australian, in his first official game in 18 months, fouled out one-minute into the fourth quarter of the Nets’ 130-108 hammering at the hands of New Orleans.

Simmons — an elite defender — was abused by monstrous New Orleans’ star Zion Williamson and, while the Nets couldn’t hit water in an ocean, the old shooting nugget reared its ugly head again as the Pelicans’ sagged off and dared the Aussie to shoot.

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As has so often been the norm, he refused to do so, making the Nets’ first bucket of the game on an easy dunk and then waiting until the fourth quarter to take another field goal.

When he was whistled for his sixth foul, 59 seconds into the last, Simmons sat for good with four points, five assists and five rebounds in 23 minutes.

Ben Simmons struggled his Brooklyn Nets debut. Picture: NBAE/Getty Images

He roared “F---” as the whistle blew and, post game, said: “I’ve got to tone it down, I feel like I’m being a little too physical, maybe I’m just excited, my first game.”

“I’m trying to set a tone within our team and be that physical guy,” Simmons, who earlier this year had surgery to fix a herniated disc in his lumbar spine, said.

“I understand and accept that responsibility for this team. It’s not going to happen overnight but gradually building towards that.

“I was just too excited but it was just great to be out there. It was good to get that one out of the way.”

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Kyrie Irving, who made just six of his 19 shots, revealed post-game he had spoken to Simmons about the importance of the Aussie avoiding foul trouble.

“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,” Irving said.

“Playing aggressive is something that we want him to do, but we also want him to play smart.”

Nets coach Steve Nash said Simmons was “rusty” but was prepared to give him time to find his feet.

“The guy hasn’t played for over a year,” Nash said, post game.

“This is a process for Ben. He’s shown glimpses of the player we know he is and can be but it’s not easy.

\Zion Williamson dominated Simmons. Picture: Getty Images

“We’re here to support him, we’re here to push him, coach him up and try to get him to a place where he can play at a level he’s played at in the past.

“There’s a lot on his plate

“As long as he continues to build his confidence and play hard and play with force, we’re fine with him making mistakes as he grows into this.”

Simmons said in a pre-game interview “we’re ready to go” — the Nets were anything but, falling behind 7-0 early as a haze from the pre-game pyrotechnics enveloped the court.

The Pelicans streaked out to a 32-14 quarter-time lead as the Nets turned it over nine times. The online Simmons slander began immediately and only got proverbially louder as he clunked two free throws in the second quarter.

Kyrie’s 2-9 and Ben Simmons has only attempted one shot at half, basketball is back

— Brendan (@WhoCheeDaddy27) October 20, 2022

When was the last time ben Simmons made a free throw???

— Dre  (@Bxpacino_) October 20, 2022

The Nets fought back before halftime thanks to Kevin Durant (32 points), but that was their only yelp as Brandon Ingram (28 points), Williamson (25) and CJ McCollum (21) picked them apart.

In better news for the Aussie contingent, Patty Mills did his best to aid the Nets with a typical 16-point performance off the bench that featured four makes from deep, while Bendigo boy Dyson Daniels got his first taste of the NBA for the Pelicans with a couple of minutes to go in the game.

Noted ESPN hot-take mouthpiece Stephen A Smith, pregame, squealed the Nets would make the NBA Finals.

It’s fair to say the Nets have a long way to go on their opening night performance.

It’s the oldest sports line in the book, but talent alone won’t win you a championship.

In Minnesota, Josh Giddey’s sophomore season got off to a losing start, but the Aussie kid still brought the wow factor with a couple of insane passes, one on an inbounds play just after halftime that only a rare few could have pulled off.

Giddey finished the season-opener with a double-double — 14 points and 11 rebounds — adding four assists and two blocks, but also coughed it up four times as Rudy Gobert produced a dominant 23-point, 16-rebound Wolves debut as Minnesota ran away from Oklahoma City with a 115-108 win.

Josh Giddey couldn’t lead the Thunder past Rudy Gobert and the Wolves. Picture: Getty Images/AFP

HOW SIMMONS AND GIDDEY WENT IN THE NBA ON THURSDAY

FULL-TIME: OKC 108-115 WOLVES

Josh Giddey produced a couple of special moments — including the one below — but Minnesota was good enough to hold off a determined Oklahoma City fightback. Giddey began his second NBA season with a double-double — 14 points with 11 rebounds — adding four assists and two blocks, but also coughed it up four times as Rudy Gobert produced a dominant 23-point, 16-rebound Wolves debut.

Josh Giddey has potential to be a player who makes you LOL with highlights this year.

Basically the Nikola Jokic effect

pic.twitter.com/Wt1x0Qrjtg

— Tyler Rucker (@tyler_rucker) October 20, 2022

FULL-TIME: NETS 108-130 PELICANS

Well, that was ugly. Kevin Durant had a big game with 32 points, but the Nets were no match for the Pelicans three-headed monster of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum. All three had at least 21 points in the drubbing, and poor old Ben Simmons’ start in Brooklyn couldn’t get any worse. Fouled out in 23 minutes with just four points. Yikes. On a positive note, Patty Mills did his best with four three pointers on his way to 16 points, while Dyson Daniels made his first NBA appearance late for the Pelicans.

Q4: 1.30 – NETS 106-125PELS

Bendigo boy Dyson Daniels makes his NBA debut!

Q4: 9.01 – NETS 83-106 PELICANS

Ben Simmons has fouled out less than one minute into the fourth quarter of his Nets debut. Final line: four points, five assists, five rebounds, six fouls …

Q3: 4.25 – THUNDER 72-76 TIMBERWOLVES

Aussie point guard Josh Giddey and Oklahoma City are trying to spark a comeback against Minnesota. The Thunder were horrible in the first quarter and found themselves down 13 at the long break, but have lifted in the third to reduce the margin to a single bucket. Giddey, in his second season, has nine points, five rebounds and three assists, but has turned the ball over four times. Rudy Gobert has enjoyed a strong debut for the Timberwolves following his high-profile off-season trade from Utah. He’s got 14 points and 11 boards.

Josh Giddey made his season debut against the Wolves. Picture: Getty Images/AFP

3QT – NETS 78-98 PELS

It’s gone from ad to worse for Ben Simmons and the Nets. Any good work Kevin Durant did in the second has been spectacularly undone by a team performance that has been disjointed and careless. Ben’s been rooted to the bench for much of the third quarter after picking up his fourth and fifth fouls early. He only has one more, now, making defending Zion Williamson so much tougher. He’s played 20 minutes and still hasn’t attempted a shot since the opening moments of the first quarter. One shot, two points, five assists, five rebounds and five fouls. Fellow Aussie Patty Mills is up to 13 points, he’s been a spark off the bench behind Kevin Durant’s 27. The Pels have five guys in double digits, with Brandon Ingram breaking the Nets down with 23 and Williamson has 22.

HT – NETS 50-58 PELS

Much better from the Nets in the second. The shooting percentage lifted a little and Kevin Durant has got going — 21 points at the half to reduce the lead to single digits. With Kyrie Irving 2-9, the offence has been KD or bust, but it’s worked. As far as Ben goes, Zion is still trying to barrel into his chest and the online slander has hit fever pitch after he clunked a pair of free throws. They were not pretty. He’s got 2 points on one shot and three fouls at halftime, so he’ll have to be careful after the long break. Patty Mills banged in a three-pointer to take his tally to five off the bench. Jonas Valanciunas and Williamson are still monstering Brooklyn on the inside — it’s going to be a problem all season.

QT – NETS 14-32 – PELS

Ben and the Nets might want a mulligan on that first quarter. All eight players to step on the court have scored for the Pelicans, led by Zion Williamson with eight. The Nets are a woeful 6-20 from the field, they’ve turned it over nine times and Simmons is a putrid -18 — Zion is mauling him. Fellow Aussie Patty Mills has two points off the bench. No sign of Dyson Daniels for the Pelicans yet. Early pains for the Nets. Can they turn it around?

5.31 – NETS 4-20 PELS

Where there’s smoke … The Nets and Pelicans played the first three minutes of the game in a haze from all the pre-game pyrotechnics. Whether that affected the Nets is debatable — this is about as ugly as it gets. Seven turnovers and they’re down 14 already. About the only positive was Ben Simmons flushing Brooklyn’s first bucket of the 2022 season with a nifty two-handed jam off an alley-oop, following a heads up defensive play from Kyrie Irving. Zion Williamson already a problem for the Nets — they’re trying to take it inside as much as possible.

Ben Simmons: We're ready to roll. pic.twitter.com/dDT3G8uqYl

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) October 19, 2022

Originally published as NBA live: Ben Simmons fouls out in Brooklyn debut as Nets hammered by New Orleans