GRADES: Philadelphia 76ers 125, Sacramento Kings 108
By Sam Coltrane
The Philadelphia 76ers snag a rare road win despite three starters being sidelined by injury.
The Sacramento Kings have the longest playoff drought in the entire NBA and entered tonight’s game as the ninth-placed team in the Western Conference. The Philadelphia 76ers were without their two All-Stars, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, along with Josh Richardson, who remains in concussion protocol.
Despite the stacked deck, Philadelphia put forward one of their better road performances of the year and finally entered the double-digit win column for such games.
Like their past several games, Philadelphia came out hot from the onset; Shake Milton, Tobias Harris, and Al Horford carried the load. The three combined for 28 of Philadelphia’s 32 first quarter points.
At the end of the quarter, Philadelphia held the lead 32-30.
A 9-0 run early in the second quarter resulted in Philadelphia taking a 41-32 lead after an Alec Burks free throw. The team never really relinquished the lead from there. Entering the halftime locker room, Philadelphia carried a 63-53 lead.
The second half was a continuance of the same. Philadelphia’s triumvirate led the way and never allowed Sacramento to truly get back into the game. Every run Sacramento mustered was met with a Philadelphia retort, as the team won every quarter in a near wire-to-wire victory.
This game won’t change the tides of Philadelphia’s season. The team needs their stars to get back for them to make any noise in the playoffs. Yet, for one single night on the opposite coast, Philadelphia Twitter can rest easy behind the team’s strong, 10th road victory of the season.
TOBIAS HARRIS. A+. <strong>36 mins | 28 pts | 14 reb | 3 ast | 0 stl | 1 blk | 2 TO | 11-22 FG | 4-6 3PT| 2-3 FT | 1 PF | +21 |</strong><p>Harris played the way many Philadelphia fans believe he must. Harris commanded the ball while also playing within the motion offense. He was efficient from the floor on his way to a 28-point, 14-rebound performance. Harris displayed his comfort stepping up as the leader among, at the very least, the current group.</p>. SF. Philadelphia 76ers
AL HORFORD. A+. <strong>36 mins | 18 pts | 8 reb | 6 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 1 TO | 7-14 FG | 2-6 3PT| 2-2 FT | 1 PF | +41 |</strong><p>I have typically reserve this section to bash Horford in what he himself would describe as a disappointing season. That was far from the case tonight. Horford dictated the action on the floor through a complete display of his offensive arsenal. He spread the floor, made plays from the elbow, rebounded, and put the ball in the hole. While all his basic counting numbers were impressive, it was his +41 that truly highlights the game he had.</p>. C. Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers. SHAKE MILTON. A. <strong>27 mins | 20 pts | 3 reb | 3 ast | 1 stl | 1 blk | 1 TO | 8-14 FG | 3-5 3PT| 1-1 FT | 4 PF | +19 |</strong><p>Milton has been playing the best basketball of his career. Starting most notably with the Los Angeles Clippers giving him the <a rel=. PG
<strong>18 mins | 17 pts | 3 reb | 1 ast | 2 stl | 0 blk | 1 TO | 6-12 FG | 3-6 3PT| 2-2 FT | 2 PF | -1 |</strong><hr /><p><strong>20 mins | 16 pts | 2 reb | 2 ast | 1 stl | 0 blk | 2 TO | 5-8 FG | 2-3 3PT| 4-5 FT | 2 PF | -2 |</strong></p><p>Burks and Neto did exactly what were and will be asked of them. They scored the rock in volume while providing an element of playmaking. Both played adequate defense while shooting the ball well from distance. Seemingly everything went well for the team and these two helped bolster the bench in a much-needed manner.</p>. SG / PG. Philadelphia 76ers. ALEC BURKS / . B+
Philadelphia 76ers. BRETT BROWN. A. After trashing Brown only a matter of games ago, Brown deserves a lot of credit for tonight’s performance. It is no secret that Brown’s style isn’t a perfect fit for a non-shooting point guard or a conventional big man. Tonight, he had a different assortment of players and the offense looked fantastic. Brown is a good to very good coach. He might not be the perfect coach for Philadelphia, but it is important and with the utmost respect that I take the time to recognize Brown after a coaching performance like tonight.. HC
Philadelphia’s next game is primetime Saturday as they take on Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on ABC. Interestingly, Embiid could theoretically be back for that game while Simmons and Richardson will likely be on the shelf.
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A likely favorite, Philadelphia will be looking to win a second straight on the road as they work to find their spot in the Eastern Conference standings.