The Philadelphia 76ers made their way to Sacramento to finish their road trip with a matchup against the Kings. Despite coming in off of the high that came from upsetting James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers in their last game, the Sixers would have their work cut out for them playing a back-to-back on a Western Conference road trip.
One player who did not look as though he played just yesterday was Tyrese Maxey, who was an unrelenting engine driving the Sixers to an early 16-15 lead. The problem that faced the Sixers was that not one Sixer outside of Maxey scored even a single point until there were three and a half minutes left in the first quarter.
Clearly feeling fatigued from their recent matchup, Philadelphia struggled to add offensive support for the All-Star, particularly the team’s starters, who finished 7/25 from the field outside of Maxey.
Throughout the night, it seemed evident that this game was meant to end positively for the home crew. Getting proper rolls and bounces throughout the game, Sacramento did well to make the most of each opportunity that came their way.
Domantas Sabonis was particularly key for the Kings, posting his 25th triple-double of the NBA season and relentlessly frustrating the Sixers along the way. A modest push in the fourth quarter kept the final score within a dozen, but the Kings performed more dominantly than the final score lets on.
Realizing the struggles of the Sixers outside of Maxey, Mike Brown’s squad allowed Philadelphia to try and beat them any way they could, just not through their All-Star.
Maxey finished with a quality 29-point offensive performance, but like the rest of the team, his defensive performance left much to be desired. Come the final buzzer, the Kings stood victorious, 108-96.
DJ Wilson makes the most of his opportunity
Outside of Tyrese Maxey, who deserves credit for obvious reasons, the other standout for the Sixers was undoubtedly DJ Wilson, who recently signed a 10-day contract with Philadelphia.
Thanks to Mo Bamba and KJ Martin’s foul trouble, Nick Nurse turned to DJ Wilson to help Paul Reed maintain the paint. Wilson made the most of this opportunity, finishing with 10 points and two blocks in a 14-minute run.
The Sixers are desperate for production at the center spot as Joel Embiid continues to recover from a meniscectomy. While Wilson cannot be expected to fill his extremely large shoes, he’s showing early that he can be a part of the solution as the regular season winds down.
Not another injury
Buddy Hield appeared to suffer a lower-body injury in the final minutes of this matchup, limping immediately toward the locker room. His condition has not been announced yet.
We will update according once an update is given.
*UPDATE*
Hield had X-Rays taken of his ankle but thankfully, they came back negative. Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice was the first to report.
Up next for the Sixers
At long last, the Sixers are returning home as they prepare to face the LA Clippers in James Harden’s return to Philly. Undoubtedly, the fans will be ready for this matchup, but the Sixers must be prepared to match their energy to sweep the season series against LA.
Tip-off is set for 7:30 PM on Wednesday, March 28, and you can catch the game live on ESPN and NBC Sports Philadelphia or listen live as always at 97.5 FM The Fanatic.
