Ben Simmons' latest NBA move amid lengthy 76ers standoff
Lingering hope Ben Simmons may have continued to use the Philadelphia 76ers' team facilities to work out, even if he wasn't attending practice, has been extinguished with the former top pick finding a new training base.
The latest development in the ongoing trade saga, Simmons is believed to remain committed to training away from the 76ers despite being filmed completing a workout on court before a game earlier this week.
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Though the rare appearance at the team's home court had generated some hope of tensions beginning to thaw between the two sides, it was just a blip as Simmons has reportedly settled in to a new gym.
Simmons had previously been working out with the St Joe's University basketball team, however it is believed these workouts may have ceased in part due to concerns about inadvertently breaching college basketball rules in doing so.
Instead, Philadelphia NBA reporter Howard Eskin filed that Simmons has instead set up base at the Fitler Club.
The stalemate between Simmons and the 76ers doesn't appear to be changing any time soon either, with head coach Doc Rivers telling media prior to Thursday's game against the Celtics that the Australian star was an afterthought as far as the team's day to day concerns went.
“I literally don‘t even talk about it. I coach the team and the guys that I can see every day,” he said.
“I let (general managers) Daryl (Morey) and Elton (Brand) deal with all of the other stuff.”
Simmons hasn't played for the 76ers since their game seven loss to the Atlanta Hawks in last season's playoffs.
His unwillingness to shoot and poor conversion from the free throw line became a point of contention among fans in the aftermath of the series, and Simmons has only practiced with the team twice before again committing to an extended absence from the squad.
NBA rivalries heat up as LeBron James sits out
The Los Angeles Lakers have won despite the absence of LeBron James while Kevin Durant and James Harden led Brooklyn to victory over the New York Knicks and the Phoenix Suns won again in their western conference showdown with the high-flying Golden State Warriors.
The Lakers sent James home after he was placed in the NBA's health and safety protocol with Anthony Davis scoring 25 points and Russell Westbrook adding 23 in a 117-92 victory at the Sacramento Kings.
Durant and Harden took turns putting on a show in front of the largest crowd ever to see a Nets game in Brooklyn, one that was split between NBA fans of New York's two teams.
In the end, the Nets were celebrating a 112-110 home victory and the Knicks.
Phoenix outgunned the Warriors 104-96 to make it a franchise record equalling 17th win in a row.
Deandre Ayton (24 points, 11 rebounds) and Chris Paul (15 points, 11 assists) recorded double-doubles for the Suns, who won despite losing Devin Booker to a strained left hamstring in the second quarter.
Jordan Poole had a game-high 28 points and Otto Porter 16 for the Warriors, but Stephen Curry was limited to 12 points on 4-for-21 shooting.
Phoenix and Golden State are both 18-3 this season with a rematch on Friday night in San Francisco.
In its 10th season, the match-up between the Nets and the knicks looked like a real rivalry.
"Being here two years now, it doesn't matter who's on that team or who's on this team, I think the energy's always going to be there," Harden said.
"Whether it's here or at MSG, the fans are going to be cheering for their respective teams and it's going to be a good game every time, and tonight we're just happy to come out with the win."
They got it after James Johnson made two free throws with 2.2 seconds left.
Harden had 34 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, Durant heated up after a slow start to finish with 27 points and nine assists while Australian guard Patty Mills struggled from deep with just 2-of-10 three pointers in his 10 points.
With AAP
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