Marc Narducci's 76ERS REPORT

Kings 109, Sixers 99, last Friday.

Sacramento became the last NBA team to win a road game, shooting 53.8 percent from the field.

Sixers 92, Cavaliers 86, Saturday. Cleveland forgot who its best player was by having LeBron James take just six shots in the second half, including just two in the fourth quarter.

Pacers 102, Sixers 85, Wednesday. Indiana committed just eight turnovers, compared with 19 for the Sixers.

Despite a subpar game against Sacramento, center

Samuel Dalembert

has averaged 11.6 points, 14 rebounds, and 3.6 blocked shots in the last three games.

Rookie forward

Jason Smith,

who started out well, has been slumping recently. In the last three games, Smith has shot 3 for 18 while averaging 3.3 points and 2.0 rebounds off the bench.

Brad Miller

had 25 points (shooting 9 for 12 from the field), 10 rebounds and six assists in the Kings' win.

Former Sixer

Larry Hughes

scored nine points, shooting 1 for 9 from the field, and had four turnovers and four assists in the Cavs' loss to the Sixers.

Here are a few minutes with Sixers television play-by-play announcer

Marc Zumoff.

Now in his 14th season, Zumoff will be at the microphone for his 1,000th regular-season game tonight, against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Question: What are your thoughts about reaching this milestone?

Answer: I think when you consider our business, there is a certain amount to be said about longevity. And what makes this special is that all but two of these games I've done with producer Shawn Oleksiak. The relationship between an announcer and the producer is crucial, and it's been great working with him.

Q: Can you talk about living out your dream of being a Sixers announcer?

A: I waited a long time for this. I was a kid growing up in Northeast Philadelphia always wanting to be a Sixers announcer. I truly feel fortunate to be in this position.

Q: Do you have a most memorable broadcast?

A: One that doesn't count toward the 1,000 was the first home playoff game in the Orlando series [in 1999]. The Sixers hadn't been in the playoffs for eight years and split the first two in Orlando. The Sixers won [97-85], and Allen Iverson had 10 steals. I hadn't heard a building so loud for a Sixers game in a decade, and it was an invigorating moment for me.

Tonight vs. the Los Angeles Lakers (15-10), 7 o'clock.

It's always an event when Kobe Bryant comes home.

Tomorrow at Memphis (8-17), 8 p.m. Guard Juan Navarro has been a solid addition to the Grizzlies, averaging 10.8 points per game.

Wednesday vs. Miami (7-19 after last night's loss to New Jersey), 6 p.m. Shaq suddenly looks like an old 35.

Consistency. The Sixers looked like world-beaters against Cleveland, but that was sandwiched between disappointing performances against Sacramento and Indiana in which the defense collapsed, allowing a multitude of uncontested shots.

1. Young's progression.

After not playing much earlier in the season, forward

Thaddeus Young

, a first-round draft pick, has taken part in seven straight games and become a member of the rotation. Even on Wednesday, when he played just 6 minutes, 35 seconds, Young scored four points, had two rebounds, and helped to pick up the tempo with his energy.

2. Dalembert's play. While he still has an occasional off-game such as the one against Sacramento, center Samuel Dalembert has played some of the most consistent basketball of his career. Dalembert still has a long way to go, but he is doing a better job staying away from foul trouble.

3. Miller's improvement. Even though he had four assists and five turnovers against Indiana, Andre Miller has emerged from his early-season slump to provide stability at point guard.

1. Perimeter defense.

Teams are still getting too many wide-open shots on the perimeter. That stems from opposing point guards' breaking down the defenders and then hitting wide-open teammates. This is a recording.

2. Ball movement. For a few games, the Sixers were doing a decent job in this area, but they have reverted to bad habits. It becomes glaring when teams such as Sacramento and Indiana move the ball effortlessly while the Sixers often spend too much time dribbling.

3. Turnovers. The Sixers went through a stretch during which they were taking care of the ball - but not lately. In the last three games, they have committed 57 turnovers, which have led to 60 points.

This is an important time because, after Wednesday, the Sixers leave for 11 days while playing six games, beginning next Friday in Sacramento. It's important that the Sixers have momentum going west. Winning two of the next three is crucial.