Game Preview: Kings At Philadelphia
(AP) - The Sacramento Kings are on the verge of a ninth consecutive losing season but will try to delay that from happening with their first win streak in nearly four months.
The Kings would seemingly have a good chance to finally secure back-to-back wins Friday night by visiting lowly Philadelphia, but the 76ers have proved difficult to beat lately.
Sacramento (22-41) has tried three different coaches this season, but the end result will prove the same as previous campaigns with its next loss - a sub-.500 record and almost assuredly a spot in the draft lottery.
The Kings, though, avoided clinching another losing season for at least a couple of days by snapping a four-game losing streak Wednesday with a 113-106 victory over playoff-contending Charlotte.
Ben McLemore had a season-high 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting. It was a positive sign for the inconsistent second-year guard, who has had at least 20 points in four of Sacramento's past eight games but averaged 8.3 in the other four on 26.8 percent shooting.
"(McLemore) was making some jump shots and ran the court pretty well," coach George Karl said. "He has been getting some good looks but has been hitting the front of the rim. He's working on his game, the confidence is coming and tonight he was a guy who I couldn't take off the floor."
Rudy Gay had another strong game with 26 points - he's averaging 28.8 over the past four - and DeMarcus Cousins added 20 with 14 rebounds. That duo totaled 18 points in the fourth quarter while going 6 for 6 from the floor.
Sacramento hasn't won consecutive games since a three-game streak Nov. 20-25, when the team was coached by Michael Malone. The Kings, playing the seventh of a season-high eight straight road games, have lost 19 of 23 away from home.
Philadelphia (14-50) has lost five of seven at home and 10 of 12 overall but are coming off back-to-back solid performances against two of the Eastern Conference's top teams.
After defeating East leader Atlanta 92-84 on Saturday, the 76ers came back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter against Chicago on Wednesday before falling 104-95 in overtime. Ish Smith had a career-high 23 points, but Philadelphia shot a season-worst 48.0 percent from the foul line (12 of 25) in its second overtime loss in the last four games.
The 76ers also missed 30 of their franchise record-tying 41 3-point attempts. "We've just got to do the little things," said center Nerlens Noel, who had a fourth straight double-figure rebounding game with 15 but also fouled out.
Noel faces a tough matchup with Cousins, who has posted four straight double-doubles and is the West leader with 39.
The 76ers and Kings have yet to meet this season. Sacramento snapped a four-game losing streak in the series in the last meeting, 115-98 at Philadelphia on March 12, 2014, behind Gay's 27 points.
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