The Philadelphia 76ers earned a few days off after winning eight of their last ten. Most recently, the Sixers defeated the almighty Brooklyn Nets in a 124-108 showdown Saturday night. The starters maintained their undefeated status when all five of them play as the team continues to steamroll opponents more often than not.
Looking ahead, Philadelphia aims to keep this trend alive. They’ll travel to take on popular trade target Buddy Hield and the Sacramento Kings. Tip-off is scheduled for a classic 10 PM West coast start late Tuesday night.
You can catch the game on NBC Sports Philadelphia, with pregame coverage beginning at 9:30. As of now, the Sixers are 4.5 point favorites with the over/under sitting at 230.5.
76ers’ Starters
One of the biggest storylines to watch in this one will clearly be the Sixers’ starting five. So far this season, the team is 13-0 when the entire group starts the game. However, there have been struggles amongst these guys as well.
Seth Curry has been ice cold. After testing positive for the virus on January 7, the shooting guard missed over three weeks of time. Since then, he has looked like a ghost of his past self since returning. After starting the season by shooting Curry 59.5% from deep he is shooting only 33.3% from deep in nine games since his return. Look for Curry to potentially rebound after getting a four-day break, followed by another three-day rest prior to this one.
When looking at the rest of the starting five, the Sixers are in pretty good shape. Joel Embiid is a frontrunner for league MVP. Ben Simmons has been averaging just under a triple-double since the failed James Harden trade. Danny Green has played some stellar defense overall. Tobias Harris has continued his run to make the NBA All-Star roster. These four will look to get back on the right track with Curry and extend their streak to 14-0 together.
Kings’ Hot Streak
Since the postponement of their series against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Sacramento Kings have been nearly unstoppable. In the seven games since their unexpected break, they have won six of their seven games. Their only loss in that span was a one-point loss to the Miami Heat.
The group has been led by its strong core. Point Guard De’Aaron Fox has pushed for an All-Star campaign. So far this season, the 23-year-old is averaging 23 points and 6.5 assists a game. He’s surrounded by Harrison Barnes, Buddy Hield, former 76er Richaun Holmes, and Marvin Bagley III. Each of those four is averaging at least 12 points a game.
Rookie sensation Tyrese Haliburton has been proving every team that passed on him wrong as well this season. Winning on and off the court, Haliburton is averaging double-digit scoring and has appeared in all but two of the team’s games this season.
The 76ers are in for a good test against this group. Their defensive efforts will need to be clicking on all cylinders. The offense should come easily, as the Kings sit third-worst in the league allowing over 118 points per game.
Prediction
76ers Snap the Kings’ Streak
This is going to be the game that Seth Curry gets back to his early season form. The Kings defense has been weak, and sit in the bottom ten for three-pointers allowed. Curry should feast on the perimeter as the 76ers’ defense continues to thrive. The Kings are hot, but Philadelphia’s dominance so far this season will be too much for them to handle.
Expect the Sixers to dethrone the Kings in this one by a final score of 116-107.
Photo Credit: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
