The Philadelphia 76ers are at home again to take on the visiting Sacramento Kings. The Sixers should be feeling good about their Tuesday night, 139-122 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. The Kings, on the other hand, are mired in a six-game losing streak and are tied for the third-worst record in the league.
Who: Sacramento Kings (12-36) at Philadelphia 76ers (25-21)
When: 7:00 p.m. EST
Where: XFinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, Pa.
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA League Pass
The Sixers have had a tougher time than expected lately, with recent losses to the Knicks and, especially, a blowout by the Hornets, but they were able to get themselves together with Joel Embiid and Paul George returning to action and beat down the Bucks on Tuesday night.
Paul George has not had a great season by his standards, but he's worked hard to stay on the court, and even when his scoring and shooting haven't been there consistently, he's been huge on the defensive side of the ball. On Tuesday night, it all came together as George tied the franchise record for three-pointers made in a game with nine, on his way to scoring 32 points. George added five rebounds and five assists, along with two steals, in arguably his best game as a Sixer.
The team, as a whole, performed much better than it had over the past few weeks, shooting 52.4% from three-point range, limiting turnovers to just six, and rebounding well. They still need to work on their perimeter defense, as the Bucks shot 44.1% from three-point range, but that's been an issue all season.
What can you say about the Kings? They're a mess. Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan didn't work out too well when they were together in Chicago, and yet, the Kings thought it would be better in Sacramento. Three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis, who's having one of the worst seasons of his career, Russell Westbrook (who will miss tonight's game), Nique Clifford, Keon Ellis, and Precious Achiuwa. Not exactly striking fear in any team.
Despite having seven players scoring in double figures, the Kings just don't have enough depth or overall talent to win consistently. LaVine is averaging 19.5 points per game with DeRozan just behind him at 19.1, and they're the leaders. Sabonis is 15.5 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, yet again, it's the worst season he's had since his second year in the league.
The Sixers will have nearly their entire lineup ready for tonight, with Quentin Grimes questionable and Joel Embiid and Paul George probable. Grimes has had a tough time of late, and the emergence of Jared McCain against the Bucks may cut into his minutes moving forward.
The return to excellence that Joel Embiid has shown this season is something that no one would have ever thought possible, yet here he is, as close to his former MVP form as he's ever been. He's smiling on the court, showing improved energy with each game, and seems to be enjoying this season with the Sixers. In addition, Paul George may have found his shooting stroke as the Sixers eye the playoffs.
Against the Kings, the Sixers should have no problems with plenty of highlights from Embiid, Maxey, and the Sixers new human highlight reel, VJ Edgecombe. If you've not seen many games this season, Edgecombe is a true reason to watch. His offensive play has been inconsistent at times, but his effort, defense, and athleticism haven't let him down, enabling him to contribute in ways beyond scoring. Should be an easy game for the Sixers tonight.
Sixers 131 - Kings 109
