Kyrie Irving on Playing for Ben Simmons: ‘If You Come at Ben, You Come at Us’

Ben Simmons wasn’t active for the Nets in his return to Philadelphia on Thursday, but he was on the mind of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

Durant scored 25, Irving dropped 22 and former 76ers guard Seth Curry added 24 in a dominant 129–100 win over the 76ers, a statement win for a Nets team that has struggled since the calendar turned to 2022.

Both Durant and Irving acknowledged the treatment that Simmons received as a spectator on Thursday. In his postgame comments, Irving made it clear that the team has embraced the player acquired in the James Harden trade, and that this win was as much for Simmons as anyone else on the roster.