There are two ways to look back at Philadelphia’s last game as they head into their next contest against the Sacramento Kings. One way is to be positive and glass-half-full, the other is the pessimistic view. I’ll explain.
Michael Carter-Williams had arguably his best game of the season, having his first career triple-double before overtime. He did it on the grand stage that is Madison Square Garden and against a division rival. The fact that he is still giving you that type of effort is an indication that the team is still playing hard and giving it their all. Being a rookie, he’s had his ups and downs and this was a big way to rebound after a rough stretch. It also shows that Brett Brown still has his team playing hard and clawing despite being in the midst of a 17-game losing streak. Those are two positive signs.
Well, there are two sides (or more) to view everything, and the other side would be that the Sixers got their absolute best from their best player and still got blown out by an awful Knicks team. This would all be true, and figuring that the opponents (like the two games with Andrew Bynum and the Pacers lingering) will get tougher and MCW will not repeat that type of performance, it looks like an uphill battle. If they can’t even come within single digits of a pathetic team that has quit, who can they beat?
Which side do you lean towards?
Game Notes:
- DeMarcus Cousins went 5-for-15 shooting last night. What kind of offense allows a Center to take that many shots, and do so unsuccessfully? That is your indication of how pathetic Sacramento is this year…not that the Sixers have any right calling a team pathetic.
- The Kings are on the back end of a back-to-back, traveling from Detroit to play at the Wells Fargo Center. Although last time the Sixers caught a bad team making a cross-country flight on a back-to-back, they lost to Utah by 12 points.
- This is a big one for Philadelphia if they want to end their losing streak. Fans don’t want them to, but they certainly want to end it. Up next for the 76ers are Indiana, Memphis and Chicago.
- Sacramento is the 29th worst defensive unit at guarding the perimeter—and the Sixers are not 30th (they’re 28th). The Kings allow opponents to shoot 38% from three.
Starting Lineups
Kings:
PG- Isiah Thomas
SG- Ben McLemore
SF- Rudy Gay
PF- Jason Thompson
C- DeMarcus Cousins
76ers:
PG – Michael Carter-Williams
SG – James Anderson
SF – Hollis Thompson
PF – Thaddeus Young
C – Henry Sims
Injuries:
Nerlens Noel and Jason Richardson are out for the Sixers as are Carl Landry and Jason Terry, all with knee injuries. Lorenzo Brown is day-to-day, and is considered a game time decision for Philadelphia. Brandon Davies is still healing from a finger injury and will not play.
Prediction:
There’s no way they can contain Cousins, and the Kings back court is pretty good. They take this one 116-106.
