The Philadelphia 76ers are at home for the second game of their five-game homestand, riding a three-game winnings streak after another strong win on Tuesday over the Lakers, 118-104. While shooting remains a struggle for the Sixers, the team has been doing all of the little things to get them winning games. The Kings, meanwhile, have blown out the Knicks and beat up the Nets over their past two games as they’re on a five-game road trip.
Sixers game information
Who: Sacramento Kings (24-22) at Philadelphia 76ers (18-27)
When: 7:30 p.m. EST
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBA League Pass, NBC Sports Philadelphia & California
Latest on the Sixers
The Sixers will remain without Joel Embiid, Paul George, Andre Drummond, and KJ Martin. Caleb Martin, meanwhile, has been listed as questionable. The Sixers will again look to rely on Tyrese Maxey, along with Kelly Oubre Jr., Guerschon Yabusele, and likely Justin Edwards, and Ricky Council IV.
Maxey has been on fire lately, as the Sixers have now won three games in a row, and he looks like he’s having fun again. He’s been shooting 53.7% from the field over the course of the last three games while shooting 40.6% on his three-point attempts.
During the streak, Maxey has averaged 34.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. A big part of the resurgence has been his effectiveness in taking care of the ball, averaging two turnovers during the streak. It’s been a huge resurgence over the last three and even the last ten games for Maxey.
Kelly Oubre Jr. has stepped up huge for the team of late, averaging 21.3 points, 11 rebounds, and 3.7 assists over the last three games. The combination of Oubre Jr. and Maxey has recently worked very well for the team.
Additionally, players like Adem Bona and Justin Edwards, while not scoring a ton, have been helping out with defense and rebounding, earning more playing time of late for a team that’s been decimated by injuries throughout the year.
Latest on the Kings
The Kings are on their own two-game winning streak after blowing out the Knicks in New York, 143-120, on Saturday night and then coming back with a convincing 110-96 win over the Nets in Brooklyn. The streak comes on the heels of the Kings losing to the Nuggets after a prior three-game winning streak. Despite their recent play, the Kings are still in just 10th place in the tough Western Conference.
Guard De’Aaron Fox, who was recently and notably announced to be on the trade block, led five Kings players to score in double figures against the Nets with 30 points, while center Domantis Sabonis had another triple-double with 21 points, 22 rebounds, and 10 assists. Fox leads the team in scoring at 25.2 points per game, while DeMar DeRozan is averaging 21.7 and Sabonis 21.0 points per game. Sabonis is also leading the entire league in rebounds at 14.6 per game.
Sabonis has been on another level lately, averaging 22.6 points, 17.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists over his last ten games, in which the Kings have won eight of them. With their big three humming along, the team still has Malik Monk averaging 17.9 points and Keegan Murray averaging 11.8 points per game. The Kings are not an easy team for anyone in the league to contend with.
What to watch for tonight
The Sixers seem to be coming together after three big wins over the Cavaliers, Bulls, and Lakers, as Tyrese Maxey has been leading the charge. The team is getting valuable minutes from its young players like Bona, Edwards, and Ricky Council IV, and the older veterans like Eric Gordon have stepped up their game of late.
With the injuries still a huge concern for the Sixers at present and going forward, the team will continue to rely on Maxey’s leadership while allowing the young players to get quality minutes as the team awaits a fully healthy roster again.
With Maxey’s recent play and Kelly Oubre Jr.’s emergence as a legitimate running mate on the depleted team, the Sixers should see plenty of movement, especially utilizing Yabusele and Bona in the post. Both players have shown a willingness to do the dirty work to keep the team successful. While shots weren’t falling like they liked to start the game, the team pulled together and beat the Lakers.
Against the Kings, the team is going to have to be hot out of the gate, as the Kings have one of the top offenses in the league and can come at opposing teams in a multitude of ways. The Sixers are going to have a hard time with Sabonis as they don’t have anyone of his size to control him, but Yabusele and Bona are strong enough and quick enough to make it somewhat difficult. The key for the Sixers will be controlling Fox, DeRozan, and Monk on the perimeter, as any of those three could get hot quickly and make for a long night.
This game bodes well for Maxey, Oubre Jr., and Justin Edwards, who’ve all made a habit of disrupting passing lanes and pestering opposing players into turnovers. Look for much of the same against the Kings, as the Sixers are ready to extend their streak to four games before a home matchup on Friday against the Nuggets.
Prediction
Sixers 117 – Kings 111
