The Philadelphia 76ers continue their road trip on Thursday when they take on the Sacramento Kings after two tough losses in Los Angeles. They will need more consistent contributions from the roster as the team continues to be hit by the injury bug as they are missing three starters.
The Kings will not be an easy matchup on Thursday. They have played some solid basketball since the All-Star break as they have won three in a row and seven of their last 10 overall as they try and make a push for the playoffs. Sacramento has not made the playoffs since 2006 so they will be playing some inspired basketball to make sure this drought ends.
With that said, it’s time for the game guide to this one:
How to watch Sixers vs. Kings
- Date: Thursday, March 5
- Time: 10:00 p.m. EST
- Location: Golden 1 Center Sacramento, CA
- TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia+
Injury Report
- Sixers: OUT: Joel Embiid (left shoulder sprain), Ben Simmons (nerve impingement in back), Josh Richardson (concussion)
- Kings: OUT: Marvin Bagley III (left foot soreness) PROBABLE: De’Aaron Fox (right lower abdominal tightness), Cory Joseph (right heel contusion) DOUBTFUL: Richaun Holmes (right shoulder soreness)
Storylines
Sixers not concerned about losses
The Sixers started this trip shorthanded and they knew what they were going up against on this road trip. It started off in Los Angeles to take on two of the top teams in the league in the Clippers and the Lakers and they went toe-to-toe with them. They had a chance in both of those games, but they just did not have enough. Those efforts leave the team feeling confident about themselves.
“I don’t really got a concern,” said Robinson III. “It’s a tough break. People out, you’ve just got to continue to play hard and play together and keep our confidence up. I think we’ve got some great players no matter who’s out there and just continue to play together.”
Sixers happy with shooting
The Sixers have been a bad road team all season, but one of the main reasons why they have been bad on the road is due to their poor shooting compared to how they shoot at home. After making 21 triples against the Clippers, they made 16 against the Lakers and those shooting efforts leave the team feeling good about what they can do.
“To find shooters in the way that we did, moving the ball, understanding the different rotations where we can get our shooters shots, delivering balls where they don’t really have to reach, they actually can catch and shoot it against a long, athletic team and get shots off, all those things I think were a positive,” Brown explained. “It is true, as a team we shot the ball well tonight (Tuesday) and we need to given the situation that we have.”
Prediction
This will not be an easy game for either team. Both teams are going to be playing some desperate basketball, Sixers to try and snap their road skid and the Kings looking to make a playoff push, and it should be an entertaining game. It is still hard to see Philadelphia going into Sacramento and getting a win down as many big pieces as they are right now. Al Horford, Tobias Harris, Glenn Robinson III, and others will have to give more on this trip.
Pick: Kings in a close one
Sixers vs. Kings season series
Game 1 November 27: 97-91 Sixers
Game 2 March 5:
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