Joel Embiid, 76ers Dominate Kings for Third-Straight Victory
The Philadelphia 76ers made it three in a row on Tuesday night to open a new slate of games.
Going into the matchup, the Sixers hoped to be healthier, as another injury report prospect was on pace to make his return. For the last couple of games, Sixers wing Danuel House Jr. has been nursing a foot laceration.
On Tuesday morning, House was a participant at the Sixers’ morning shootaround, listed as probable for the matchup. A couple of hours before the Sixers and the Sacramento Kings tipped off, Doc Rivers announced that House’s probable status would be downgraded to doubtful.
Meanwhile, the veteran guard De’Anthony Melton was added to the injury report and went from questionable to out. The Sixers took the floor without House, Melton, and the star guard Tyrese Maxey on Tuesday.
Despite being shorthanded against a thriving Kings team, the Sixers weren’t bothered. In the first quarter of action, Philadelphia shot nearly 60 percent from the field, outscoring Sacramento 39-32 on fewer shots.
In the second quarter, the Sixers turned their play up another notch and outscored the Kings 41-23. Leading by as many as 28 points in the first half, the 76ers entered the intermission with a 25-point lead after scoring 80 points.
Sacramento battled back in the third quarter by outscoring Philly, but it was too little, too late at that point. Getting just a seven-point advantage in the scoring department coming out for the second half, The Sixers had a comfortable enough lead in the fourth quarter to trot out their bench guys for garbage time.
Following the matchup, Doc Rivers mentioned he really liked what he witnessed from his squad on Tuesday night, as their performance resembled their Sunday night blowout win against the Charlotte Hornets.
“Really, the last two games,” said Rivers. “120s, shooting over 50 percent. You know, the ball’s moving, the floor is wide open — that’s exactly what we’re talking about. Tobias (Harris) had nine assists tonight. James (Harden) had 15. I mean, it just says that they’re moving the ball, they’re playing together, and our spacing is correct. It’s good to see.”
The Sixers dominated the Kings and picked up their 15th win of the year with a 123-103 victory. Sixers center Joel Embiid followed up his Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors with another stellar outing by draining a team-high of 31 points in 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, James Harden and Tobias Harris impressed in the playmaking department as the ten-time All-Star totaled 15 assists, with Harris nearly notching the double-double by producing nine. The Sixers will now enter a two-day break before getting back on the court to host the Golden State Warriors on Friday.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
