Dein erstes Forum » Marquis by scoring three times in the sixth. Wit

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers told a national anthem singer and a middle finger-flipping fan to hit the road.Russell Westbrook then sent the Sixers packing with a loss and showed life without Kevin Durant might not be so bad for Oklahoma City.Westbrook stared down a double bird and spoiled Joel Embiids debut with 32 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Thunder to a 103-97 victory on Wednesday night.Westbrooks surge down the stretch capped a peculiar night in Philly.The 76ers had a tripleheader of image faux pas on opening night: The scheduled anthem singer says she was booted because she wanted to wear a We Matter jersey; a fan was kicked out for extending two middle fingers at Westbrook; and halftime singer Desiigner was booed off the court for a shirtless performance where he dropped his pants past his rear.Crazy, right? Westbrook said. I turned a new leaf though because that cost me $25,000 last time. I guess the fan, hell be all right. I guess they can say whatever they want to the players and do what they want.Westbrook was fined by the league for directing inappropriate language toward a fan in a playoff game last year. He took the high road toward the Sixers fan and stuck around to score the decisive points on opening night for the Thunder in their first game since Durant left in free agency and signed with the Golden State Warriors.Embiid nearly matched Westbrook down the stretch and showed a needed spark for the Sixers.Embiid scored 20 points in 22 minutes in his first game since the Sixers made him the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 draft. Embiid had sat out the last two seasons with foot injuries. He received a roaring ovation when he was introduced and fans went wild on every shot.Fans chanted Trust The Process when Embiid was at the free-throw line. The catchphrase became a rallying cry under former team president Sam Hinkie.Having the fans chant that, it was special and I loved it, Embiid said.Westbrook and Embiid swapped jumpers that tied the game 97-all. Westbrook sank two free throws with 35 seconds left for a 99-97 lead in front of a raucous crowd. Enes Kanter silenced them for good and sent them toward the exits with a putback layup after the Sixers missed a shot on the other end.Yes, it was another loss for the Sixers, but one that came with a 7-foot-2 asterisk.Embiids performance largely stole the show from the opening-night shenanigans that otherwise tarnished the night.Sixers fans who had been waiting to cheer for Embiid for more than two years went wild every time he touched the ball. A group of fans held a sign that read, In Embiid We Trust.The Sixers just might prove they made the right decision to trust in Embiid.The sellout crowd of 20,487 fans erupted when the 7-foot-2 center from Kansas, Joooooel, Embiiiiid was introduced during game introductions. They stood and gasped when Embiid attempted his first shot of the game -- a missed 3-pointer.He had a nifty spin in the post and a bucket for a quick 10-2 lead.The Sixers, yes, the 10-72 Sixers, at last had a dose of good news.Embiid starred on a nationally televised performance and gave a teasing glimpse that he just may be the franchise cornerstone player that can help shift the franchise toward respectability.I love this city and I just want to appreciate the moment, he said.Westbrook, now The Man in OKC, refused to cede the spotlight entirely to Embiid. He scored 12 points in the first quarter and 22 through three to keep the Thunder within striking distance entering the fourth.TIP-INSThunder: Coach Billy Donovan said the Thunder will win without Durant, just do it in a different way. It will be a constant process throughout the season to get everyone to understand, he said.76ers: Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard rang the ceremonial opening bell. ... UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez was at the game.ANTHEM CONTROVERSYPhiladelphia 76ers national anthem singer Sevyn Streeter says she was told by the team she could not perform because of her We Matter jersey. Streeter wrote on Twitter, Was suppose to sing the anthem at (at)sixers & (at)okcthunder game but mins b4 (at)sixers said I couldnt because I was wearing a We Matter jersey.FAN TOSSEDThe Sixers ejected a portly fan in an Allen Iverson jersey who directed both middle fingers toward Westbrook from his courtside seat. The fan raised his arms in triumph and high-fived fans as he was escorted out of the arena.DESIIGNER FLAW:Rapper Desiigner was booed off the court for a halftime performance where he performed shirtless and left with his jeans down almost to his ankles and his boxers exposed.SIMMONS UPDATENo. 1 overall draft pick Ben Simmons says there is no timetable for his return to the Sixers from a broken bone in his right foot. He said he has not discussed the possibility of sitting out the season.Ill come back when Im ready, Simmons said.UP NEXTThunder: Host Phoenix on Friday in their home opener.76ers: Host Atlanta on Saturday. They open with three straight and five of their first six at home.Cheap Hockey Jerseys Authentic . 4 Villanova with a 96-68 drubbing on Monday. Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout. Cyber Monday Hockey Jerseys . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings. https://www.fakehockeyjerseys.com/ . One game after a miserable showing in Oklahoma City, Gay tied a career high with 41 points and the Sacramento Kings cruised to a 114-97 victory at the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. Cheap Hockey Jerseys . Barcelona also left injured defenders Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba out of its squad for the trip to Glasgow. That means that Marc Bartra will probably start again in the centre of the defence alongside Gerard Pique. Wholesale Hockey Jerseys . John Lucas, signed as a mentor for rookie Trey Burke, showed he can score if required, scoring 12 points of his 16 points in the second quarter as Utah built an 18-point lead.ST. LOUIS -- Jake Westbrook did a little bit of everything Friday night against the San Diego Padres. A career .116 hitter, Westbrook recorded the first multihit game of his career with two singles and a double. He picked off a runner in the fifth inning. Perhaps most importantly, the St. Louis starter lasted 6 1-3 innings and allowed just two runs, eight hits and four walks in the Cardinals 9-6 victory. "Overall, it went well," Westbrook said. "It was a good start to the second half." The right-hander, who scored twice and had an RBI, surpassed his hit output for the year and raised his batting from .100 to .217. "I ran into a few, I guess," Westbrook said. "Its the first time I ran the bases that much since high school." Westbrook has usually resembled a pitcher who spent most of his career in the American League without swinging a bat. Westbrook came to the Cardinals after breaking in with the New York Yankees and then spending nine seasons in Cleveland. St. Louis manager Mike Matheny appreciated the offensive outburst. "The hits, well always take them," Matheny said. "They started two rallies and a big RBI in another (inning). "These guys, they take their at-bats seriously. They put a lot of pride in them. Its frustrating to them. They dont get enough repetitions to consistently be able to do what they want to do. They go working hard and some time it pays off like tonight." After rookie Carlos Martinez allowed three runs in the ninth to make it a three-run game, All-Star Edward Mujica got the last two outs to record his 27th save in 29 chances. Fellow All-Star Matt Carpenter continued his strong season with three hits and three RBIs. "Im just trying to have good at-bats, play good defence and do whatever I can to get on base," Carpenter said. Two other St. Louis All-Stars, Carlos Beltran and Yadier Molina, each drove in two runs, Beltran contributing two sacrifice flies and Molina a two-run double in the seventh. St. Louis reachedd a season-best 22 games over .dddddddddddd.500 (58-36) and owns the best winning percentage in the majors (.617). The Padres lone All-Star representative, Everth Cabrera, drove in two runs with a two-run single off Westbrook in the seventh. San Diego, which lost 18 of 22 to conclude the first half, fell to 15-32 on the road and 74-149 in St. Louis (6-19 at new Busch Stadium). "We got 13 hits and we put some stress on them," manager Bud Black said. "We forced them to bring in their closer and we started hitting the ball with some authority." Former Cardinal Jason Marquis (9-5) lost his third straight. Marquis, who has not won since beating Arizona 6-4 on June 15, was touched for six runs on eight hits and three walks. Marquis blanked the Cardinals the first two innings before Westbrook led off the third with a single to centre. He later scored on Beltrans sacrifice fly to centre. Two innings later, Westbrook started another rally when he doubled over right fielder Will Venables head to begin the fifth. Carpenter followed with an RBI double to the gap in left centre and he scored on Beltrans sacrifice fly one out later that made it 3-0. The Cardinals broke it open and chased Marquis by scoring three times in the sixth. With the bases loaded and one out, Westbrook coaxed a single through the middle to drive in Matt Adams. Carpenter then drove home two more with an RBI single to centre. Notes: Edinson Volquez (6-8), who set a new career high by making 20 starts in the first half, pitches his first game in the second half when he faces the Cardinals Lance Lynn (11-4) Saturday night. . . . San Diego started a 10-day, 10-game road trip Friday. The Padres were 1-9 on their last 10-game trip. . . . Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday missed his fourth straight game due to a lingering right hamstring issue. . . . Padres outfielder Jedd Gyorko was 0-for-12 since coming off the DL before singling in the fourth. . . . Molinas double in the seventh was his 28th, matching his output last year. ' ' '