Strong Fourth Quarter Lifts Sixers Over Kings

By Kevin McCormick, Sports Talk Philly Editor

After a short homestand, the Sixers would be on the road for their first West Coast trip of the season. First up on their four-game trip were the Sacramento Kings, who have been scorching hot as of late.

The Kings have been a team known for liking to play fast, and it did not take long for things to turn into a track meet. This increase in pace did not seem to phase the Sixers early, as they would open the game to a big lead.

Things would change quickly though, as the Kings would get hot from deep and swing the momentum back in their favor. After their second quarter surge, the game would remain on the seesaw until the end.

After a strong performance in the fourth quarter, the Sixers would go on to win by a final score of 119-111. The team remains undefeated when all five starters are in the lineup, now sitting at 14-0 on the year.

Joel Embiid would have a slow start to this game but would come alive when needed most. He would flirt with a triple-double, racking up 25 points, 17 rebounds, and a season-high six assists. His play down the stretch was a crucial factor in the Sixers pulling out this victory.

Another Sixer who would come alive late after a slow start was Tobias Harris. He continues to put on strong showings in the fourth quarter to help secure victories. Harris would end the game tied for the second-leading scorer with 22 points along with coming down with 10 rebounds.

Seth Curry looked to be getting back to his old ways against the Nets on Saturday and would come alive against one of his former teams. He would match Harris' total with 22 points, and knockdown four of his six attempts from three. After really struggling in his return to the lineup, it is great to see Curry looking like his old self again.

Since his efforts in the comeback win against the Indiana Pacers, Furkan Korkmaz has been playing with newfound confidence. His impressive play as of late would continue against the Kings as he would be the leading scorer off the bench with 13 points on a very effective 5-7 shooting.

The standout player on the Kings' side would be De'Arron Fox. He would continue his hot play this month, racking up 34 points and 10 assists in the loss. Fox was getting just about anything he wanted on the floor until Doc Rivers put Matisse Thybulle on him late in the game.

One major factor that led to this Sixers' victory was their increased activity on the perimeter defensively. After shooting the lights out from deep in the first half, the Sixers made sure that would not continue after halftime. Sacramento would shoot 11/20 from deep in the first half, and then just 3/22 in the final two quarters.

This was a great win to kick off what could shape up to be a pretty tough road trip. The way the Sixers played hard and made plays on both sides of the floor late in the game is a great sign of how well this group is coming together.

Looking ahead, the Sixers will be back in action on Thursday as they look to get revenge against the Portland Trail Blazers.