March 10 was supposed to be a momentous day for the NBA world. On this day, the Philadelphia 76ers were supposed to host the Brooklyn Nets. Ben Simmons returning to Philly. James Harden playing Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant for the first time since asking for a trade. Everyone was anticipating a close match.

However… the fanbase didn't get what they want. The Nets jumped out to a massive first-half lead and never looked back, handily routing the Sixers 129 – 100. It got so bad that the raucous Philly fanbase that was hell-bent on booing Simmons left the game earlier than expected. (via Hoop Central)

Against a motivated Nets team, the Sixers couldn't do much on both sides of the ball. Harden was a disastrous 3 of 17 from the field, including a ghastly 0-10 clip from within the arc. Meanwhile, Durant and Irving combined for 47 points, which was more than enough to put down a malfunctioning Philly team.

It was looking like it was going to be an instant classic before tip-off. Ben Simmons was loudly booed by the Philadelphia crowd despite not even playing. Fans went all-out in expressing their feelings. One fan even got ejected from the game for being too loud against Simmons!

Both sides had enough motivation to thoroughly beat their opponents, but the Nets were able to channel that energy better. Does this mean that the Sixers are doomed if they face Brooklyn in the playoffs? Not quite. Until proven otherwise, this was an outlier game for Harden. However, the fact that they were easily beat by a team without one of their stars should worry more fans.