Former Sixer Ben Simmons has made his Philly feelings clear

After yet another NBA playoff loss for the Philadelphia Sixers, their former star Ben Simmons has posted a cheeky Instagram story.

James Dampney

3 min read

May 15, 2023 - 10:38AM

Ben Simmons of the Brooklyn Nets warms up before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on October 26, 2022 in Milwaukee. Photo: John Fisher/Getty Images/AFP

Australian Ben Simmons has taken a swipe at his former NBA team following the Sixers’ latest second-round playoff failure, drawing a quick response from fans and critics.

Philadelphia held a 3-2 lead over Boston in the best-of-seven second-round series, but lost consecutive games to crash out once again and continue a dismal run of playoff flame outs over the past decade.

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Simmons was heavily involved in many of those postseason defeats, famously passing up an open shot against Atlanta in the 2021 playoffs that turned Sixers fans against him and ultimately resulted in his trade to Brooklyn.

While Simmons, 26, has had two injury-ruined seasons and is nowhere near the player that claimed three All-Star nods between 2019-2021, he still took pleasure in “toasting” the Sixers’ latest loss.

In an Instagram story to his 7.1 million followers, Simmons posted a photo of a loungeroom complete with a glass of red wine in the foreground and the Celtics-Sixers playoff game in the background, with Boston leading by 30 points with just over three minutes remaining.

Ben Simmons spent the first six years of his career in Philadelphia. Photo: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images/AFP

The NBA world was losing its mind over the post and the Aussie’s name was among the top 10 trending terms on Twitter in the United States.

It continues a frosty relationship between Simmons and his former team ever since that playoff defeat to the Hawks, when his then-coach Doc Rivers failed to endorse the Australian as the team’s point guard moving forward.

A back injury cut short Simmons’ 2022-23 season and his status is unknown heading into next season, while he was left off a recent 18-man Boomers squad named for the World Cup.

Ben Simmons watching Sixers lose Game 7 pic.twitter.com/ElIrsHZXbz
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 14, 2023

Ben Simmons savage ðŸ’€ pic.twitter.com/h9wGSsOCE1
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) May 14, 2023

This living room set up and the off center tv is as upsetting as every Ben Simmons jumper https://t.co/vzfrvjbupz
— Kirk (@KirkSeriousFace) May 14, 2023

On the court, Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum poured in an historic 51 points to lead Boston to the 112-88 game-seven victory over Philadelphia 76ers and into the Eastern Conference finals.

Tatum added 13 rebounds, five assists and a couple of steals and the Celtics’ suffocating defence neutralised newly minted NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid as Boston booked a return date with the Miami Heat - the team they beat in seven games in last year’s Conference Finals.

Jaylen Brown added 25 points for Boston, who broke open a close game in the third quarter as they out-scored the 76ers 33-10.

Philadelphia went six minutes of the period without a basket and trailed by 26 heading into the fourth.

Ben Simmons trolls the Sixers. Instagram

Simmons playing with the Nets. Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP

His 51 points eclipsed the game-seven record of 50 set by Golden State’s Stephen Curry against the Sacramento Kings in the first round this month.

It was another crushing playoff exit for the 76ers and Embiid, who was held to 15 points on five-of-18 shooting.

Philadelphia coach Rivers fell to 6-10 in game sevens as a coach. That’s the most game seven defeats of any NBA coach in history and Rivers remains without a game-seven win on the road in his coaching career.

Tobias Harris led the 76ers with 19 points but Boston limited the Sixers to 37.3 per cent shooting from the floor and harried them into 14 turnovers.

Star guard James Harden, who was involved in the Simmons trade to get him to Philadelphia, scored just nine points, making three of his 11 shots from the field.

Simmons (right) played just 42 games this season. Photo: Dustin Satloff/Getty Images

Tatum, who endured a horrific shooting night until drilling four crucial three-pointers in the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ series-extending game-six win on Thursday, began fashioning his game-seven masterpiece in the opening minutes.

He departed to a hero’s ovation with less than four minutes left in the game.

“It felt great,” he told broadcaster ESPN. “This was a back and forth series. Obviously I didn’t play well the first half of the last game and I was just happy to get an opportunity to bounce back.

“To come back home, game seven on Mother’s Day ... I had to put on a special performance for her.”