The Sacramento Kings return to the court Wednesday evening looking to forget all about a wild week of losing and uncertainty surrounding their coach. George Karl will lead them into battle against the Philadelphia 76ers, looking to snap a four-game losing streak.
The Kings’ hopes and dreams of making the playoffs have all but ended. With Sacramento dropping eight of their last nine, they now trail the Houston Rockets by five games for the eighth spot in the Western Conference standings. They have squandered a soft spot in the schedule which gets much tougher after All-Star break.
Philadelphia has just eight wins on the season, but one of those came at Sleep Train Arena earlier in the year. The 76ers are scrappy and they play hard for 48 minutes, they just don’t have the overall talent to compete on most night.
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SIGN UP HERE The Kings took them for granted last time these two teams played and Philly popped them in the mouth. With so much turmoil surrounding the team, it will be interesting to see how they respond in another winnable game.
LINE:
Kings by 5
WHERE THEY STAND:
Kings: 21-31, third place in Pacific
76ers: 8-44, last place in Atlantic
NBA
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Rajon Rondo vs. Ish Smith -- Rondo has been the lone vocal supporters standing behind Karl through the current losing, but like most of his teammates, he’s struggled to stay in front of his man. In 20 games since coming over from the Pelicans, Smith has averaged 15.8 points and 7.8 assists per game. Ish is as quick as they come and Rondo will have his hands full tonight in Philly.
INJURY REPORT:
Kings: SG Ben McLemore (right wrist) out, F Rudy Gay (ankle) probable, C DeMarcus Cousins (ankle) probable, PG Rajon Rondo (turf toe) probable.
76ers: PF Nerlens Noel (right knee tendinitis) out, G Nik Stauskas (neck) probable.
SERIES HISTORY:
The 76ers shocked the Kings on their home floor back on Dec. 30, coming away with a 110-105 victory. Philadelphia holds a 162-123 advantage all-time over the Kings and a 31-28 lead during the Sacramento-era.
QUOTABLE:
“George is our coach and we are collectively working thru our issues.” -Vlade Divac