The post-Ben Simmons era is off to a good start for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Are we getting too ahead of ourselves? Seriously though, the Sixers pulled off an impressive victory to open their season on Wednesday night. Joel Embiid and company staved off the New Orleans Pelicans, 117-97 sans the controversial Simmons.
Embiid waxed hot in the first quarter and went on to finish with a double-double of 22 points and 12 rebounds to finish where he left off for the Sixers last season. After beating the Zion Williamson-less Pelicans, the All-Star big man sounded off on winning with Simmons, although he didn't actually drop his name (via ESPN).
“We've been practicing hard. It was good to kind of get off to a good start, get a win, and kind of forget about the off-the-court stuff.”
Simmons was suspended by the Sixers for the game against the Pelicans for “conduct detrimental to the team.” The southpaw guard was reportedly not too engaged during their latest practice.
But for Embiid, who already blasted Simmons a few days ago, with the new NBA season now in full swing, they're more focused on improving their chemistry. He revealed that they enjoyed a team-bonding dinner in NOLA the night before their game.
The Sixers will play their home opener on Friday against the Brooklyn Nets, another embattled squad. It's unclear if Simmons will suit up.
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