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Ben Simmons’ Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics updates

BEN Simmons was the victim of a scathing chant that echoed around Boston’s arena as he lined up at the charity stripe.

Tyson OttoTyson Otto
@tottodtsport
5 min read
May 1, 2018 - 2:17PM
Ben Simmons’ time is now.
Ben Simmons’ time is now.

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Philadelphia is going to have to do it the hard way as Boston took a 1-0 series lead in their Eastern Conference showdown.

BEN Simmons’ 76ers are 1-0 down in their Eastern Conference semi-final against Boston. The Aussie star was targeted by Boston’s players and fans with some needling tactics that appeared to make things difficult for the rookie of the year favourite. Simmons dug deep to finish with 18 points, but his team never looked like challenging the Celtics down the stretch and eventually fell 117-101.

Terry Rozier (29 points) was the top scorer in a dazzling Celtics offensive display at the TD Garden, with Al Horford and Jayson Tatum also making hefty contributions.

Horford finished with 26 points while Tatum added 28 points as Boston surged into a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series with a statement victory.

The third-seeded Sixers had advanced to the semi-finals after a confident demolition of Miami in the opening round.

But the Celtics line-up look to be a vastly more challenging proposition for the Sixers, who saw Joel Embiid top score with 31 points while pulling down 13 rebounds.

Yet it was the shooting prowess of Celtics ace Rozier that caught the eye as the 24-year-old point guard kept Boston firmly on track for a well-earned win.

Boston, who advanced to the semi-finals after a gruelling seven-game series win over Milwaukee, have regrouped superbly after a slew of injuries which means they are without stars Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward.

Rozier’s 29-point haul included 21 points from three-point range, a 77.8 conversion percentage from outside the arc.

12.40pm

Simmons-Smart get physical as Celtics cruise to 1-0 lead

Philadelphia was completely outplayed in Boston as the Celtics took a 1-0 series lead with a 117-101 win.

It came after Ben Simmons and Marcus Smart got into it during a last quarter scrap.

With the Celtics enjoying a safe 15-point buffer down the stretch, Simmons appeared to catch Smart in the face with a stray elbow as the pair jostled for rebounding position.

Smart responded by shoving Simmons with both hands before continuing to go after the Australian as Simmons walked away.

Sixers forward Dario Saric stood up to Smart as he chased Simmons and continued to yell at the 21-year-old.

Simmons was awarded the foul and went on to convert two free throws at the other end of the court.

He finished the game with 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists — but his team had no answers to the Celtics down the stretch.

Joel Embiid led Philadelphia with 31 points and 13 rebounds. Terry Rozier (29 points) and Jayson Tatum (28) did the damage for the Celtics.

12.35pm

‘Wow’ Simmons’ sizzling double nutmeg

Ben Simmons left commentators stunned when he delivered a dime to Dario Saric that went between his own legs and the legs of Celtics star Al Horford.

12.10am

Celtics fans throw shade at Ben Simmons

Boston fans chanted “not a rookie” at Ben Simmons as the Celtics took control in the third quarter.

Simmons was at the foul line in the third quarter as Boston crowd screamed “not a rookie”.

The chant comes after Simmons’ Rookie Of The Year rival Donovan Mitchell suggested last month Simmons should not be eligible for the award after the Sixers star missed his entire first season in the league because of injury.

Simmons remains the favourite for the rookie honour, despite Utah’s Mitchell delivering massively for the Jazz so far in the playoffs.

The chant would have been impossible for Simmons to ignore, but he drained his last free throw under the immense pressure.

It wasn’t enough to lift his team, however, with the 76ers trailing 87-75 at three-quarter time.

11.15am

Simmons’ ‘pain in the ass’ twist

Ben Simmons struggled to make an impact on offence as the Sixers trailed 56-45 at half time.

Boston’s Marcus Smart put the clamps on the Aussie star, who finished the half with eight points, one rebound and two assists.

NBA legend Charles Barkley said before the game that it would be a “difficult” series for Simmons because of Boston’s impressive list of defenders and said Smart would be an annoying match-up for the Aussie point guard.

He was right.

However, Smart was spotted wincing in pain just before half time after aggravating a thumb injury. He remained on the court looking at his thumb long after his teammates had moved to the locker room.

Smart was able to return in the second half and appeared to be able to play without any discomfort in his thumb.

10.35am

Simmons’ rough start

Ben Simmons coughed up three turnovers in the first eight minutes against Boston, including an offensive charging foul.

Simmons had one point from the free throw line and nothing else good on his stats sheet before Philadelphia called a time out down 21-13 in the first quarter.

“That’s his third turnover,” NBA hall-of-famer Kevin McHale told TNT.

“Against the heat he looked a little more under control, a little more steady. He looks a little bit shaky starting off (tonight).”

Philly recovered to finish the quarter down 25-22, on the back of five points from Joel Embiid.

10.1 0am

Simmons’ ultimate Aussie strut

Ben Simmons got heads turning as he arrived in Boston for the 76ers game one showdown with the Celtics at TD Garden.

The 21-year-old Aussie rocked up sporting a flannelette shirt and a giant, golden Australian boxing kangaroo pendant hanging from a chain around his neck.

The Sixers star was also spotted psyching up for the contest by cranking some ACDC tunes during his warm-up and stretches.

According to a report, Simmons was listening to ACDC’s TNT.

10am

Aussies in newest chapter of epic NBA rivalry

It is one of America’s great sporting rivalries and Australia’s Ben Simmons and Aron Baynes will be in the middle of the next chapter.

Ben Simmons’ upstart Philadephia 76ers enter Baynes’ Boston Celtics’ cauldron- like TD Garden on Monday (Tuesday 10am AEST) in the first of the seven-game NBA Eastern Conference semi-finals.

Over the decades the 76ers and Celtics have fought some of basketball’s most heated battles.

In the 1980s it was Julius “Dr J” Erving going head-to-head with Larry Bird and in the 1960s it was two of the greatest big men the sport has known - Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell - in epic contests.

Simmons, centre Joel Embiid and the rest of the 76ers will be tapping into their history in Boston by wearing the iconic red 1980s uniforms the 76ers wore in their four play-off series battles with Bird’s Celtics.

At the 76ers’ team meeting on Monday the first thing coach Brett Brown, a Boston native, showed Simmons and the rest of the team was not the game plan, but a video history of 76ers v Celtics games.

The video included a special message from Erving.

“I get the history of what goes on between our two organisations intimately and I just think it is incredibly exciting to revisit that with my young guys and show them even before we got into the Xs and Os and scout tape,” Brown told reporters after the Monday morning shootaround.

“There’s a lot that has gone on before us.” The keys to the series will likely be how Celtics guard Marcus Smart handles Simmons and if Baynes and teammate Al Horford can restrict the 76ers’ All-Star centre Joel Embiid.

“It’s going to be a challenge in the fact that he’s a great player,” Smart, asked about Simmons, said.

“He is crafty around the rim, athletic and he understands the game and for me it is just about keeping my emotions and things intact.” The winner of the series will play the victor of the Cleveland Cavaliers v Toronto Raptors Eastern Conference semi-final series.

— AP

Originally published as Ben Simmons’ Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics updates

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/basketball/nba/live-ben-simmons-philadelphia-76ers-vs-boston-celtics/news-story/d31e8b836337b0b92bf47abd028f1c12