End of 4-game winning streak! Maxi 22 out of 9, Fox 35+5, George fouled out with 6 fouls, 76ers face reality
On January 2nd, Beijing time, the NBA 2024-25 season regular season continued, with the Sacramento Kings hosting the Philadelphia 76ers. This was the first matchup between the two teams this season, and they had split their two meetings last season, showing similar strength. It's remarkable that after a recent four-game winning streak, the 76ers' overall record reached 13 wins and 17 losses, rising to 11th in the Eastern Conference. With one more win, they would enter the Eastern Conference play-in tournament area, finally getting back on track. Moreover, according to the latest power rankings released by the NBA, the 76ers ranked 18th, making it into the top 20 for the first time since the initial rankings, which could be considered a double celebration.
In contrast, the Kings have been on a downward spiral, currently holding a record of 14 wins and 19 losses, ranking fourth from the bottom in the West, which is quite surprising. In the latest power rankings, the Kings have fallen to 23rd in the league, basically at the level of tanking teams, which is absurd. After all, during the last offseason, the Kings just brought in their third superstar, DeRozan, with no intention of aiming for the number one draft pick. Now, they can't even reach the threshold of the play-in tournament. Additionally, the team's best coach in the league, Mike Brown, was fired by management, becoming the scapegoat for poor performance.
Before the game, American media ESPN also provided the latest win probability prediction for today's game, with the 76ers having a win rate of 54.1% and the Kings only 45.9%. For this game, the starting lineup for the 76ers was without Embiid, McCain, and KJ-Martin, with Gordon, Lowry, and Drummond questionable to play. The starting five were: George, Maxi, Yabusele, Lowry, and Martin. On the Kings' side, Devin Carter was absent, and Murray was unlikely to play, with Crowder questionable. The starting lineup was: Fox, Monk, Ellis, DeRozan, and Sabonis.
In the first quarter, Sabonis repeatedly scored strong layups, giving the Kings a 9-5 lead over the 76ers. Maxi assisted, and George took the ball after a screen and hit a steady three-pointer to stop the bleeding. He then rose directly against Huerter's defense, still managing to score an incredible 2+1 while off-balance, allowing the 76ers to tie the score. DeRozan scored six points through a combination of drives and free throws, putting the Kings back up by three points. George drew a three-point foul on Ellis at the buzzer and made all three free throws, ending the first quarter with the 76ers leading by five points.
In the first quarter, Paul George played 9 minutes, shooting 7 for 4 and scoring 14 points with 2 rebounds.
In the second quarter, George drove to the basket and scored, followed by a turnaround jumper, already accumulating 18 points, showing great form today. However, an unexpected incident occurred when George lost his balance in mid-air and fell heavily to the ground, looking very painful and unable to get up for a long time. The head coach had no choice but to substitute him out. Gordon caught the ball and hit a steady three-pointer, also scoring in double figures, as the 76ers extended their lead to 14 points. Sabonis faked out Yabusele and made a layup, and the Kings responded with a 12-3 run to close the gap to five points. The 76ers went 3 minutes and 28 seconds without scoring, and after George returned to the court, he broke the scoring drought by assisting Martin with a three-pointer. Fox shook off his defender and hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer, ending the half with the Kings tied the score, both teams returning to the starting line at 57-57.
At halftime, on the 76ers' side, Paul George played 16 minutes, shooting 11 for 7, scoring 20 points with 4 rebounds and 3 assists; Maxi shot 9 for 3, going 0 for 4 from three-point range, scoring 6 points with 1 rebound, 3 assists, and 1 block. On the Kings' side, Sabonis shot 10 for 6, scoring 13 points with 14 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal; Fox shot 7 for 5, going 2 for 3 from three-point range, scoring 16 points with 3 rebounds and 1 assist.
Changing sides for the second half, Maxi hit a buzzer-beating floater against Little Sabonis' defense, and Fox followed with a tough drive to the basket, immediately responding in kind. George continued to drive to the basket and score, followed by a three-pointer, already accumulating 30 points. After Maxi hit two consecutive three-pointers, the 76ers regained a nine-point lead.
In the decisive fourth quarter, DeRozan drove to the basket and scored, followed by Fox hitting a jump shot to close the gap to four points. Maxi hit a super-long three-pointer under George's screen, and the 76ers extended their lead to seven points again. Monk drove to the basket and drew a foul on George, and with four minutes left, George already had five fouls. The 76ers made several low-level mistakes, and Ellis hit a trailing three-pointer. DeRozan and Monk followed with consecutive drives to the basket, and the Kings went on an 11-0 run to overtake the 76ers by two points. George made another crucial mistake by losing the ball on a drive to the basket, and ultimately, the Kings defeated the 76ers 113-107, ending their four-game winning streak. The 76ers have come to realize the reality that George makes crucial mistakes at key moments, which they really can't rely on, and Maxi can't carry the team alone. This season, they probably won't go far.
For the 76ers, Maxi shot 22 for 9, scoring 27 points with 2 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals; George fouled out with six fouls, scoring 30 points with 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 turnovers; Little Martin scored 12 points with 7 rebounds and 4 assists. On the Kings' side, DeRozan scored 18 points with 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal; Fox shot 16 for 13, scoring 35 points with 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block; Sabonis scored 17 points with 21 rebounds, 7 assists, and 7 turnovers.