The Sixers are in Sacramento for the second game of a three-game road trip out west, taking on the Kings. After a Tuesday blowout loss to the Nuggets, the team will be looking to rebound against one of the worst teams in the league. The Kings are coming off a 132-104 loss to the Spurs on Tuesday and don't look to fare much better at home against an injured Sixers squad.
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (37-32) at Sacramento Kings (18-52)
When: 10 p.m. EST
Where: Golden 1 Arena, Sacramento, CA.
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA League Pass, NBC Sports California
There was hope early in the week that center Joel Embiid might return at some point during the road trip, and, at least for tonight, that will not be the case. Embiid was downgraded to OUT as he continues to recover from a right oblique strain and hasn't played since a Feb. 26 win against the Miami Heat, when he suffered the injury.
Along with Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Paul George are still out of the lineup, leaving VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, and Justin Edwards to lead the way for the Sixers. The trio combined for just 32 points against the Nuggets, shooting just 3-15 on their three-point attempts and 12-36 total from the field. They'll need to be much better against a Kings team that ranks 28th in opponents' three-point shooting, with opponents shooting 37.0% from deep this season.
The Kings' injury report is inching closer to looking like the Indiana Pacers, with 10 players currently listed, including Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis. It leaves the Kings to rely on DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook for the bulk of their scoring. With Keegan Murray slated to miss the game, the team will be without three of their top five scorers as they take on an equally short-handed Sixers.
While there are a few teams in the league with worse records, the Kings are last in the league in three-point shooting at just 33.7% per game, while allowing teams to shoot 37.0% on their attempts. They sit 29th in scoring, averaging just 110.7 points per game, while giving up the third-most points in the league at 120.7 points per game.
The team boasts some big name recognition on the roster, with DeRozan, Lavine, Sabonis and Westbrook, and if it was 2019, the team could be one of the tops in the league but, seven years later, this squad isn't meant to compete and they still have one of the league's highest payrolls as there doesn't seem like much direction nor hope for the immediate future.
This will be a huge test for head coach Nick Nurse and his squad as they face a team that they should beat, regardless of who's on the floor. Still, little has come easily for the Sixers lately, and there are many questions surrounding the team without their top players.
Edgecombe and Grimes will have to be much better than they were against the Nuggets, and facing a poor defensive squad like the Kings could be just what the team needs. Despite their love of pace and a strong defense, the team has to slow down a bit in the half-court to open up their shooters for quality three-point shots. If they fail on both ends, they'll watch the Kings open shooters have good looks all night while simultaneously falling behind with poor shot attempts of their own.
This is a game the Sixers very much need and should win, but they've struggled with rising to the occasion throughout the season. Facing Westbrook and DeRozan, the return of Malik Monk, and the impressive play of rookie Nique Clifford, the matchup isn't ideal for the depleted Sixers backcourt.
Kings 113 - Sixers 97
