amkos was taken off the ice on a st

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. Discount Soccer Jerseys . The Montreal Canadiens announced on Friday that the veteran forward will return to the teams line-up on Saturday night when the Habs visit the Nashville Predators. Cheap Soccer Jerseys Outlet .S. Open champion Justin Rose birdied the first hole with a blind shot he hit to a foot of the pin, and he stayed in front Tuesday until he completed a 4-under 67 for a two-shot lead over Jason Dufner in PGA Grand Slam of Golf. http://www.cheapsoccerchina.com/cheap-barcelona-jerseys-china_76s.html .com) - Yankee Stadium is the home of the Bronx Bombers, but on Sunday afternoon it will open its gates to host the latest addition of the Hudson River Rivalry. Stitched Soccer Jerseys . Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille scored 20 seconds apart a few minutes after Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a broken right leg, and the Bruins beat the Lightning 3-0 on Monday afternoon. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys China .ca look back at each of the Top 10 stories of 2013. Today, we look back at Boston Strong - a citys recovery from tragedy. MONTREAL -- It took a goal from the penalty spot by Patrice Bernier to spare the Montreal Impact from crashing to a second straight defeat at home. The veteran midfielders goal in the 80th minute gave the Impact a 1-1 MLS draw with lowly Chivas USA on Sunday night. The Impact (9-4-4) lead the Eastern Conference with 31 points, but are 0-1-2 in their last three games, including a 4-3 loss to Colorado in their previous home game last week. "Its not our greatest period, but these things happen," said Bernier. "We have to refocus, regroup, and find some energy. "We have some tough games coming up and that will be a good challenge." Eric Avila, recently returned from a trial with Mexican club Guadalajara, scored for Chivas (3-10-4), the last-place team in the Western Conference. Chivas has gone 13 games without a win dating to a 2-1 victory over Vancouver on March 30. On paper, they were easy pickings for Montreals high-powered attack, which leads the league despite having played fewer games than most MLS clubs. But on the field, Chivas played a thorough and patient defensive game while the Impact wasted several good chances. "Its nice to come back and get a point," added Bernier. "In the end these little points will count. "But we wasted enough chances that we could have had a two-goal lead. But thats football." Chivas opened a three-game road trip with a 0-0 draw in Dallas and will be looking to add more points when they visit Toronto FC on Wednesday night. Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy, who stopped Marco Di Vaio and Felipe Martins on early point-blank chances, sees his team getting stronger under new coach Jose Luis Real. "We knew this would be a tough game and we came prepared and we put in a smart performance," said Kennedy. "We didnt leave ourselves too vulnerable. "We stayed compact and limited their chances. It was a great point for us." Bernier used his signature stutter-step move to score from the spot after Mario De Luna took down Sanna Nyaassi on the left edge of the penalty area.dddddddddddd The Impact have struggled on defence, allowing eight goals in their last three outings, and it surfaced once again as low-scoring Chivas got the first goal in the 55th minute. After Hassoun Camara lost the ball near the halfway line, a Jose Correa cross into the middle looked to put Montreal in panic mode. Jorge Villafana blasted a left-footed shot off the bar and Avila was there to put in the rebound from the edge of the penalty area. It was the one setback in an otherwise better defensive performance than their last two outings. And it was their second comeback draw in a row after tying 3-3 in Toronto during the week. Coach Marco Schallibaum called it a good effort and added "the balance was better today. "There are no easy games in this league. We had a lot of good chances but the goalie made some god saves. We are also missing some of the lucky punch we had before. But we went for the win at the end." Montreal outshot Chivas 18-8, including 8-3 in shots on goal. Substitute Andrew Wenger had two good chances in the dying minutes, but put one shot just wide and the other was stopped by Kennedy. Chivas defender Carlos Borja took a yellow card but saved an almost certain goal when he pulled Di Vaio down from behind just outside the area in the 39th minute. Montreal reached the halfway mark of their season. After 17 games as an expansion team in 2012, they were 5-9-3 for 18 points. Notes: The Impact brought Davy Arnaud and Bernier out of the starting 11 in favour of Nyassi and Collen Warner. Warner played his 50th career MLS game, while Bernier went on in the 68th minute for a team-leading 33rd straight appearance. . . Matteo Ferrari wore the captains armband. . . Schallibaum was back after serving his third one-game suspension Wednesday in Toronto.. . Tristan Bowen (suspension) and Julio Morales (national team duty) returned for Chivas but didnt start. . . Chivas beat Montreal 2-1 in their only meeting last year in Carson, Calif. ' ' '