Kings try to extend three-game win streak against 76ers (Dec 26, 2016)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. --- The Chaotic Kings suddenly have turned into the Winning Kings.
Perhaps the Philadelphia 76ers are taking notes.
The Sacramento Kings, engrossed in off-the-court controversy and losing basketball only a week ago, now find themselves in the midst of their longest stretch of success since February. They'll try to extend a three-game winning streak on Tuesday night at Golden 1 Center when they host the 76ers.
Philadelphia has dealt with its own issues recently in what is rapidly becoming another awful season.
Sacramento (13-17), which has played six straight games without starter Rudy Gay (hip flexor) and four straight without reserve Omri Casspi (virus), has not won four straight since a five-game winning streak in January. The Kings have not said whether either will play against the 76ers.
"We're starting to realize what it takes to win games," forward DeMarcus Cousins told reporters after the Kings' 109-105 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. "We're doing a great job of playing together, moving the ball, getting everybody involved. Guys are having fun. Things are just clicking."
Interestingly enough, that started happening immediately after the Kings announced they'd fined Cousins a significant amount -- $50,000, according to the Sacramento Bee --- for a run-in with a sports columnist after a win earlier this month.
Cousins has been his usual dominant self since then, averaging 36.0 points and 9.3 rebounds in the three wins, but the Kings' success has come down to defensive execution in the fourth quarter.
Sacramento entered the fourth quarter trailing in each of its previous three victories and responded by outscoring Portland, Utah (on the road) and Minnesota by a combined 96-62 in the final 12 minutes. Those three teams all shot just 30 percent from the field in the fourth quarter.
The Kings shot 62 percent from the floor, with Cousins and guard Ty Lawson leading the way offensively by combining to average 21 points in the fourth quarters of those victories.
"We're using the time spent together in how we want to do it at end-of-game situations," Kings coach Dave Joerger said after the Minnesota win. "We're defending pretty well. We're executing offensively."
The 76ers (7-22), who have not won 20 games in a season since 2012-13, bring the NBA's worst record to Sacramento. They dropped the opener of a four-game Western Conference trip at Phoenix on Friday night and have lost eight of their 10 road games.
Philadelphia coach Brett Brown told The Philadelphia Enquirer he's committed to playing big men Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor, even as forward Nerlens Noel has complained publicly about his lack of playing time.
Embiid is the NBA's leading rookie scorer (18.4 points per game), and Okafor's scoring and rebounding averages have dipped from 17.5 and 7.0 per game as a rookie to 11.1 and 5.0, respectively, this season.
Noel is still playing himself back into shape after a knee procedure earlier this season.
"I have to look at it by completely identifying what our strengths are when we grow these guys and play with these guys," Brown told the Inquirer. "We have to take advantage or our advantages as we grow our bigs."
Sixers forward Richaun Holmes remained in the NBA's concussion protocol and his status for Monday is questionable.
