Sixers vs. Sacramento Kings at a glance
76ers vs. Sacramento Kings at a Glance
TEAMS: Sixers (7-22) vs. Kings (13-17)
WHEN: 10:30 p.m. Monday
WHERE: Golden 1 Center
BROADCASTS: TV – CSN RADIO – 97.5 FM
SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE: TWITTER – @PompeyOnSixers, INSTAGRAM – PompeyOnSixers
411 ON Kings: The Kings are playing their best basketball of the season.
They have won three straight and four of five games. They have also outscored their opponents by at least 11 points in the fourth quarter in their last three games. And Sacramento hasn't given up more than 22 points during the final quarter in any of those three contests.
Power forward/center DeMarcus Cousins will provide one of the stiffest head-to-head battles Sixers post player Joel Embiid will face this season.
The seventh-year veteran ranks third in the league in scoring at 29.1 points per game. Cousins has scored 30 or more points in 11 games. His highlight was a 55-point outing while making 5 of 8 three-pointers against the Portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 20. He has 15 double-doubles this season.
PROBABLE STARTERS
SIXERS (7-22)
33 Robert Covington SF 6-9 10.2 ppg. 1.6 spg.
21 Joel Embiid PF 7-2 18.4 ppg. 2.4 bpg.
8 Jahlil Okafor C 6-11 11.1 ppg. 5.0 rpg.
12 Gerald Henderson SG 6-5 9.5 ppg. 2.6 rpg.
14 Sergio Rodriguez PG 6-3 9.3 ppg. 6.4 apg.
Coach: Brett Brown (Fourth season, 54-221)
Injury report: Ben Simmons (right foot fracture, out), Jerryd Bayless, (left wrist ligament tear, out), Richaun Holmes (concussion, out).
KINGS (13-17)
22 Matt Barnes SF 6-7 7.0 ppg. 4.7 rpg.
15 DeMarcus Cousins PF 6-11 29.1 ppg 10.6 rpg.
4 Kosta Koufos C 7-0 5.9 ppg. 5.8 rpg.
23 Ben McLemore SG 6-5 6.3 ppg. 1.5 rpg.
7 Darren Collison PG 6-0 12.1 ppg. 4.4 apg.
Coach: Dave Joerger (Fourth season, 160-116)
Injury report: Rudy Gay (right hip flexor strain, doubtful), Omri Casspi (illness, probable).
THE SERIES
The Sixers own a 162-124 series advantage.
LAST SERIES MEETING: The Sixers suffered one of their fourth-quarter meltdowns against dysfunctional and seemingly uninspired Kings back on Feb. 10.
Leading by 11 points in the fourth quarter, the Sixers went on to lose, 114-110, at the Wells Fargo Center. It was the final game before last season's all-star break for both teams.
The Sixers led most of the game and had a 92-81 cushion after Okafor's put-back with 9 minutes, 43 seconds remaining. But the Kings, who shot 73.7 percent in the fourth quarter, gradually chipped away at the lead thanks to Collison. The then reserve point guard scored 25 points, with 19 coming in the final 13 minutes.
Sacramento pulled within one point (105-104) after his three-pointer with 2:49 to play. Then after Covington missed two foul shots, Cousins' 19-footer gave the Kings a 106-105 lead. Quincy Acy converted on a pair of foul shots to give Sacramento a three-point cushion with 1:34 left.
Cousins ended up with 28 points and 12 rebounds in the victory.
Covington finished with a game-high 29 points while making 7 of 11 three-pointers to go with seven turnovers. Okafor added 26 points, 10 rebounds, and six turnovers, while Nik Stauskas had 16 points and made 4 of 5 three-pointers.
UPCOMING GAMES
Thursday: 9 p.m., at Vivint Smart Home Arena, Sixers vs. Utah Jazz
Friday: 9 p.m., at Pepsi Center, Sixers vs. Denver Nuggets
Jan. 3: 7 p.m., at Wells Fargo Center, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Sixers
Jan. 6: 7:30 p.m., at T.D. Garden, Sixers vs. Boston Celtics
Jan. 8: 12 p.m., at Barclays Center, Sixers vs. Brooklyn Nets
Follow and contact 76ers beat writer Keith Pompey on Twitter and on Instagram at PompeyOnSixers.