By: Kylan Watson
After beating the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers faced the Sacramento Kings for the first time this season. Both teams traded scoring runs in this game and thanks to a late game scoring explosion from Tyrese Maxey (40 points) and Joel Embiid (37 points), Philly was able to erase an 11-point fourth quarter deficit to beat Sacramento 113-111 for their fifth comeback victory of the season (26th overall win).
The Sixers once again found their offensive rhythm early and often in this contest. They were able to take full advantage of the holes in the Kings defensive scheme and take the early lead in the game. Embiid scored 10 of his 37 points in the first quarter and continues to round into form. Multiple times when they needed it most in this game, he either scored a bucket or found the open man to create a high-percentage scoring opportunity. Philly needed the 37 points he scored in this contest. However, the stat that was the x-factor tonight were those eight assists, each of them created game and momentum changing buckets for Philly in this game.
When Embiid is on the floor things just look a whole lot better on both sides of the ball for the Sixers and it gives Tyrese Maxey room to let the game come to him and stay fresh during games throughout this season.
Despite the offensive and playmaking explosion from Embiid the Kings were able to take advantage of another third quarter and early fourth quarter power outage to take an 11-point lead in this contest. The Sixers game up way too many easy scoring opportunities and rebounds to Sacramento which gave them multiple opportunities to put points on the board and gain confidence. The trio of Dennis Schroeder (27 points), DeMar DeRozan (25 points), and Zach Lavine (17 points) combined for 59 of the Kings’ 111 points and the Sixers had no answers for them. Late in the fourth quarter, the Sixers were able to turn up their defensive pressure which forced multiple missed shots and turnovers from Sacramento, that late game cold streak allowed the Sixers to take this game from the Kings thanks to Maxey and Embiid carrying them across the finish line.
Philly’s explosive duo (Maxey and Embiid) combined for 77 points in this game and Sacramento had no answers for what they were doing in this contest. They used their two-man game to dice and slice the Kings defense and were able to create a game winning lay-up and-one opportunity that Maxey cashed in on for the comeback victory.
The chemistry between the two of them continues to get stronger with every game they play together, but it should not have taken a herculean effort to beat the second worst team in the Western Conference. Philly will need to figure out who is going to take those back-up minutes when Embiid and Maxey sit down and find a consistent scorer because once again not being able to put together a consistent offensive and defensive effort when neither Embiid or Maxey are in the game almost cost them another game this season.
They still are not getting enough from their bench unit and either another player must be brought in to stabilize that unit as the trade deadline approaches or Jared McCain or Quentin Grimes (missed his second straight game with an ankle injury) will find themselves and help that unit to outplay their opponents which is what they were doing earlier this season. Especially if they want to continue to climb up the Eastern Conference standings and make noise in the playoffs in April.
The Sixers will now prepare to face the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night, they will need to limit their turnovers, win, or keep the rebounding battle competitive, and continue to cash in on the high-percentage shooting/scoring opportunities created by their ball movement. Implementing these things into their game plan for Saturday night will put them in great shape to win their 27th game of the season and extend their win streak to three games.
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