Ben Simmons ejected late in Philadelphia 76ers win over Toronto

VIDEO: THINGS got heated late in the Philadelphia 76ers’ win over Toronto early today, and Aussie Ben Simmons was in the thick of the action.

Ben Simmons streaks away from Raptors guard Kyle Lowry. Pic: AP Schultz)

AUSSIE Ben Simmons was ejected late in the game as Philadelphia edged Toronto in a 117-111 NBA win this morning.

The Australian rookie had 12 points and four assists, with foul trouble limiting his impact in what was a highly-charged finish.

Simmons and Kyle Lowry were ejected with 6.5 sec left after a dust-up near midcourt.

The Aussie appeared to gesture to Lowry towards the locker room as he left the court in a sign he was eager to continue their spat.

After the game the Aussie played down the incident but said he would always stand his ground.

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“I think they’re just trying to test me,” Simmons said.

“I don’t know if they’re trying to test me or see how I am on the court, but I don’t play around. I’m not going to take s--- from anybody.”

Looks like Kyle Lowry and Ben Simmons are about to fight in the hallway. pic.twitter.com/BFlPvlShri

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 15, 2018

Lowry brushed off the beef, telling the Toronto Sun: “I don’t know. I guess he thinks he’s somebody.”

For the Sixers it was Joel Embiid, who led all scorers with 34 points to go with 11 rebounds, that proved the difference.

T.J. McConnell added a career-high 18 points and JJ Redick scored 15 before leaving with a left leg injury for the Sixers, who had to manage Simmons through the game to avoid him fouling out.

The Sixers had a 21-point lead cut to 102-101 on DeMar DeRozan’s three-pointer with three minutes to play but Simmons responded with a driving layup and Dario Saric hit a three on the next possession to get the lead back out to six. Embiid hit four free throws in the final 30 seconds to ensure the victory.

DeRozan scored 24 points and Kyle Lowry struggled in his return from a three-game absence because of a bruised tailbone, adding 13 points on 3-for-16 from the field.

Kemba Walker scored 17 of his 20 points in the second half as the Charlotte Hornets pulled away in the fourth quarter of a 118-107 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Ben Simmons said things did not continue with Kyle Lowry off the court after the game. "I just went to the locker room," Simmons said. "Nobody was back there."

— Jessica Camerato (@JCameratoNBCS) January 15, 2018

— with AP