Sixers on Wrong End of History in Late-Game Loss vs Kings

Kings storm back in final minutes to steal win from Sixers.

Jan 1, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) drives to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers forward Caleb Martin (16) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

On Wednesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers took the floor in Sacramento looking to extend their winning streak to five games. For most of the matchup, it looked like Tyrese Maxey and company were going to take care of business against the struggling Kings. However, things would end up unraveling in the final minutes.

With a little over three minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Maxey knocked down a layup to put the Sixers up nine. The offense would proceed to fall apart after that, as they go scoreless and commit numerous turnovers down the stretch. The Kings would take full advantage of this opportunity, going on a 15-0 run to win the game by a final score of 113-107.

Following this late-game collapse, the Sixers found themselves on the wrong side of the history books. The Kings became the first team in over two decades to score at least 15 points and force at least five turnovers while not surrending a point in the final three minutes of a game.

The @SacramentoKings in the final 3:30 tonight:

15+ points scored
0 points allowed
0 missed shots (FG or FT)
5+ turnovers forced

No other NBA team in the last 20 years has done all of that over the final 3:30 of a game.

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) January 2, 2025

To put it simply, the Sixers wasted a good opportunity against the Kings on Wednesday. Following their rocky start to the year, they have little margin for error when it comes to climbing to the standings. The Kings were in the midst of a losing streak, and were fresh off firing their head coach. Philly couldn’t afford to drop a game like that, and the fumbled it in the final minutes.

The Sixers have done a good job as of late slowly turning things around. That said, if they want any chance at securing a postseason spot, they can’t make a habit of performances like Wednesday.