longer fling, but that doesnt necessarily mean t

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. Marshall Faulk Womens Jersey .5 million, one-year contract on Friday. Hawkins, who turns 41 in December, will compete with Rex Brothers for the closers role at spring training. Reggie Wayne Youth Jersey . White came in fourth place in the event. He was the two-time defending gold medallist. The gold medal went to Swiss snowboarder Iouri Podladtchikov. http://www.officialindianapoliscoltspro.com/Pat-mcafee-colts-jersey/ . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Ben Banogu Womens Jersey . Brandon Morrow allowed five runs on six hits over three innings. He struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. Edwin Encarnacion had a two-out, bases loaded two-RBI double in the third inning. Pat McAfee Womens Jersey . Aaron Harrison scored a 22 points for Kentucky (6-1), which has won four in a row following a Nov. 12 loss to current No. 1 Michigan State. Julius Randle overcame a scoreless first half and added his sixth double-double in as many games with 14 points and 10 rebounds. First dates are hard, and the one India are having with DRS has thrown up its share of adorable and awkward moments.Batting for the first time in front of his home crowd in a Test match, Cheteshwar Pujara used the system to overturn an lbw decision against him and score a special century in front of his family and friends. That high, however, dissipated in the second innings when he was again caught in front of the stumps again but did not realise the ball had pitched outside leg. His wingman M Vijay was no help, and his coach Anil Kumble gave him an earful for not being brave enough to take the plunge. Poor Pujara.In Visakhapatnam, Indias difficulties in judging when to use the system came out in the span of three balls from Moeen Ali. A ripping offbreak took Wriddhiman Sahas pad and after an eternity Kumar Dharmasena raised his finger. Perhaps the delay encouraged Saha to review, but replays showed it was three reds. Two deliveries later, Ravindra Jadeja went forward to defend the second ball he faced, expecting turn from Moeen bowling around the stumps. Instead he was met by a full delivery that held its line and struck him low on the front pad. Dharmasena upheld the appeal for lbw, and it was time to engage the temptress.Jadeja strode down the pitch to get some advice from R Ashwin, his partner, who wasnt sure it was a good idea. India now had only one review left. But they had just lost one of their best lower-order batsmen. It was probably worth the gambble.dddddddddddd When the replays came on, it confirmed as much, with the ball missing leg stump by a whisker.England and DRS have had a much longer fling, but that doesnt necessarily mean they do not have their own issues. Alastair Cook, in the first morning of the series, was given out lbw after he missed a flick to a delivery from Jadeja that seemed like it would clearly miss leg stump. Here too the non-striker was consulted, but Haseeb Hameed, the 19-year old on Test debut, had enough to worry about without having to calculate the balls trajectory.India managed a happy ending though. Jayant Yadav, on debut, struck Moeen on the pads in the first over after drinks in the final session. The batsman had come down the track, but the offspinner had seen that he hadnt really covered that much distance and more importantly the ball had straightened. Umpire Dharmasena had ruled against the on-field appeal but Jayant knew a debut wicket was only a T sign away and convinced his captain to go for a review.The ball pitched in line, hit the batsman on middle and went on to hit leg stump, three reds when so often in such cases the umpires call comes into play. The Indians celebrations - Virat Kohli, who just about raised his bat on scoring a century earlier, was punching the air in triumph - were indicative of an unfamiliar job very well done. ' ' '