Ben Simmons rips refs after fouling out vs. Grizzlies

Seemingly baited by Ja Morant, Simmons got his sixth foul with the Nets down 124-118 with 3:52 left. “It wasn’t a foul. He called it a foul, made a mistake. It is what it is,” Simmons said. “Really frustrating. But all I can do now is support my …

Seemingly baited by Ja Morant, Simmons got his sixth foul with the Nets down 124-118 with 3:52 left.  “It wasn’t a foul. He called it a foul, made a mistake. It is what it is,” Simmons said. “Really frustrating. But all I can do now is support my team from the bench. But f–k yeah it’s frustrating. It’s not a foul. That was bulls–t. It’s frustrating because it’s a late game, it’s fourth quarter, it’s a physical close game. It’s the NBA. This is not college. It’s not high school. Some people are going to get hit, some people will bleed. It’s basketball.”

Source: Brian Lewis @ New York Post

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
#Nets‘ Ben Simmons rips referees after fouling out again: ‘Bulls–t’ nypost.com/2022/10/25/net… via @nypostsports2:37 AM
Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
Ben Simmons fouled out for the second time in three regular season games with the Nets — then he sounded off on what he felt wasn’t a consistent whistle in a loss to the Grizzlies. espn.com/nba/story/_/id…2:27 AM
CBS NBA @CBSSportsNBA
Grizzlies’ Ja Morant explains how he baited Ben Simmons into fouling out for second time in three games
cbssports.com/nba/news/grizz…12:24 AM
Brad Botkin @bradbotkincbs
Man I was all in on the Blazers trading for Ben Simmons. What they did is SO much better – 11:41 PM
Drew Hill @DrewHill_DM
Ja Morant said he remembered a play from his rookie year in Philadelphia where Ben Simmons fouled him trying to make a steal while he was looking towards the bench.
He remembered the play during the 4th quarter, and used to it foul Simmons out. His rookie year was 3 seasons ago – 11:10 PM
Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Ben Simmons admits he’s rusty, but also acknowledges he has to be more aggressive. Teams laying off him is going to be a thing until he does. The #Nets are -45 so far in his first 83 minutes. – 11:06 PM
Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Ben Simmons in 6th foul called by JT Orr: “It’s frustrating, it’s not a foul. That was bullsh1t. It’s frustrating because it’s late game. You’re in the 4th quarter, it’s a physical close game. It’s the #NBA, it’s not college, not high school.” #Nets11:03 PM
Meghan Triplett @Meghan_Triplett
After the game Ben Simmons was asked what happened with that 6th foul. Ben responded, “you tell me.”
Simmons said it wasn’t a foul and he didn’t get an explanation. – 11:01 PM
Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Ben Simmons ended his press conference with us saying he didn’t want to get fined. Somewhere Marshawn Lynch smiled. – 11:00 PM
Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Ben Simmons called his sixth foul “bullshit.” – 10:58 PM
Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Ben Simmons on the defensive woes: “A lot of it was bullsh1t calls, if you ask me.” #Nets #Grizzlies10:58 PM
Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
I just asked Taylor Jenkins if he knew what Ja Morant was doing when he was rolling the ball up the floor and Ben Simmons picked up his sixth foul. He said “yes,” but didn’t want to go into details.
If they planned that to foul Simmons out, that’s pretty wild. – 10:52 PM
Drew Hill @DrewHill_DM
Taylor Jenkins, without going into details, said that he knew Ja Morant was going to bait Ben Simmons into that sixth foul late in the game. It was designed. – 10:51 PM
Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Asked Steve Nash if Ben Simmons needs to drive more. Quickly said “Yes. That’s a little bit of the rust….You can see him trying at times. And that’s great: We want to keep pushing him to try to break through & force the issue a little at times, even if he makes mistakes.” #Nets10:46 PM
The Vertical @YahooSportsNBA
Ben Simmons through three games this season:
▫️ 17 points
▫️ 14 fouls
▫️ Fouled out twice pic.twitter.com/TT14rU83ct10:46 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Nash said “rust” has been Ben Simmons’ biggest issue so far, but adds he needs to be more aggressive offensively. – 10:44 PM
Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
The ball was rolling up the floor. Ja Morant didn’t touch it. The Nets got frustrated, Ben Simmons picked up his sixth foul and the Grizzlies won. Patience is a virtue.
The Grizzlies are 3-1
Story: commercialappeal.com/story/sports/n…10:44 PM
Erik Slater @erikslater_
This was not a good performance for Ben Simmons.
Memphis made the decision not to guard him in the 2nd half and he did nothing to take advantage. And his defense was not good, which is very problematic. – 10:40 PM
Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Final: Grizzlies beat the Nets 134-124. Not a game to teach the kids about defense. Kevin Durant put on a scoring clinic, but it wasn’t enough. Ben Simmons fouled out and I think someone else just got called for another foul. Ugly, weird game. On to Milwaukee. – 10:31 PM
Rob Perez @WorldWideWob
Ja Morant just hilariously baited Ben Simmons into fouling out
https://t.co/pU9Em4dJRC pic.twitter.com/tH7fAzQmtp10:24 PM

StatMuse @statmuse
Ben Simmons tonight:
7 PTS
8 AST
5 TOV
6 FOULS
0-1 3P
@PointsBetUSA pic.twitter.com/XhNdPvENtd10:23 PM

StatMuse @statmuse
Ben Simmons has played 3 games this season.
He’s fouled out in two of them.
He has 17 points and 14 fouls this season. pic.twitter.com/XkPuMv8PgX10:22 PM

Chris Vernon @ChrisVernonShow
Ja baiting Ben Simmons into fouling out and then waving goodbye to him was so fantastic. – 10:22 PM
Barbara Barker @meanbarb
Ben Simmons fouls out with 3:52 left. – 10:21 PM
Erik Slater @erikslater_
Did Ben Simmons really just let Ja roll that ball for 20 seconds? – 10:20 PM
Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Ja Morant just put on a IQ clinic and got Ben Simmons fouled out. Wow. – 10:20 PM
Drew Hill @DrewHill_DM
Ja Morant waves bye bye to Ben Simmons as he fouls out. Crowd going nuts. – 10:20 PM
Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Ben Simmons fouls out with 3:52 left. – 10:20 PM
Steve Aschburner @AschNBA
Ja Morant defying gravity and physics? Yeah, OK.
Kevin Durant putting on a shooting clinic vs. any Grizzlies defender? Fine.
But we just witnessed Ben Simmons shooting a 3-pointer to close the 3Q. His first such attempt since 5/23/21.
(Now, as then, it missed.) – 9:59 PM
Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
End of the third quarter: Grizzlies lead the Nets 109-97. Ben Simmons just attempted a 3 at the buzzer that went off the rim. The previous play, Desmond Bane hit one from Gotham. The defense hasn’t been good. Kevin Durant has been brilliant. Do the Nets have one more run in them? – 9:58 PM
Erik Slater @erikslater_
Desmond Bane got the best of Ben Simmons that quarter, to put it lightly.
He drops 19 and puts the Grizzlies up 12 heading into the 4th. – 9:58 PM
Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
The #Nets watched Memphis take over with a 23-5 run to open the half. They shot just 2-of-9 with a couple of Ben Simmons turnovers. Tangentially related, the #Grizzlies aren’t bothering to defend Simmons and he’s not making them. #NBA9:53 PM
Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
Ja has 33. KD has 31. Ben Simmons has six points and six assists — but he’s also got five turnovers and is a -19. The Nets just have no answers defensively. Memphis continues to get anything it wants. – 9:52 PM
John Hollinger @johnhollinger
The extent to which the Grizzlies aren’t guarding Ben Simmons is hilarious. Santi Aldama had to work harder on defense in the Patriot League. – 9:46 PM
Erik Slater @erikslater_
Memphis has made the adjustment to where they are literally not guarding Ben Simmons.
He has to go to the rim. – 9:41 PM
Erik Slater @erikslater_
Ben Simmons with the drive and fend-off lays it in.
Making progress. – 9:12 PM
Erik Slater @erikslater_
Ben Simmons just initiated some contact going to the basket.
Came up grabbing his back however. – 9:03 PM
Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Ben Simmons stretching out his back as he heads to the line. – 9:02 PM
Clay Bailey @claybailey9
Your starters for a Monday night in Memphis. Brooklyn: Kyrie, Ben Simmons, Durant, Nic Claxton and O’Neale.
Grizz start Morant, Bane, Adams, Aldama and a returning Dillon Brooks.
Please set your fantasy lineups accordingly. – 7:47 PM
Anthony Puccio @APOOCH
Ben Simmons is 5/8 this season with 10 points. Nets need him to have full confidence shooting the ball, especially when he’s inside the paint… Same guy who averaged 17 points on 56% shooting just a few years back.
Expecting him to have his first 10+ point game tonight. pic.twitter.com/QpBerE9icP1:44 PM

More on this storyline

When asked what explanation he got from referee JT Orr, Simmons said he got none.  “There was no explanation for that call. He didn’t have anything to say,” Simmons said. “Same as the technical foul. He said because Ja had a tech he had to give me a tech because I said something. But it wasn’t malicious, it wasn’t at the referee. I told him it was just a part of basketball. People have emotions. I didn’t cuss at him, I didn’t call him anything. I said it was a bulls–t call, which it was.” -via New York Post / October 25, 2022
Nets star Kevin Durant said he didn’t believe that last foul should have been called on Simmons, either, but that he knows calls usually even out over the course of a game. “I didn’t think that one was a foul, but it is what it is,” Durant said. “Ben’s a veteran in this league, so he trusts himself, we trust him and it’s just about bouncing back next game.” -via ESPN / October 25, 2022
Matt Hanifan: Absolutely terrible sixth foul call on Ben Simmons. Just awful. #NBA #NBATwitter -via Twitter / October 25, 2022