76ers Have Lost 7 Of Last 8 Games

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Zach Randolph scored 27 points and Buddy Hield added 24 to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 101-95 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.

Frank Mason III added 16 points for the Kings, who came back from a 16-point second-half deficit.

Ben Simmons had 13 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists for slumping Philadelphia, which lost for the seventh time in eight games while playing without center Joel Embiid for the second straight night due to a back injury. Robert Covington led the 76ers with 17 points.

Embiid did not travel with the team to Chicago for Monday's 117-115 loss to the Bulls. He was expected to play against the Kings on the second night of back-to-back games, but coach Brett Brown said the team's medical staff advised him to keep the 7-foot center on the sideline.

The injury has kept Embiid out for four of the last six games. Brown said Embiid's back "is still a little bit sore."

Philadelphia looked out of sync without Embiid and Sacramento took advantage.

Hield gave the Kings a 79-78 lead with a 3-pointer with 9:48 remaining. Vince Carter made a full-court outlet pass to Garrett Temple for a layup that made it 92-86 Sacramento with 4:18 left.

Carter made another crucial play down the stretch, hustling for an offensive rebound that led to Randolph's jumper with 1:59 to play.

Simmons answered with a driving basket that made it 96-92, but he couldn't convert the free throw after being fouled and the rally fizzled from there.

BROWN ON OKAFOR

Jahlil Okafor, whom Philadelphia traded to Brooklyn earlier this month, made headlines in New York on Tuesday for saying he was glad to be with an organization that had "an actual NBA coaching staff."

"Jahlil knows what we did here," Brown said prior to Tuesday's game against the Kings. "It's a young person who gave a quote. ... I think everybody understands how we treat people here and the attention he received while he was here."

TIP-INS

Kings: G George Hill (illness) did not play. ... Malachi Richardson had three points in 19 minutes after not playing Sunday due to an ankle injury. ... Randolph (rest) didn't play in Sunday's 108-93 loss at Toronto. ... G De'Aaron Fox was back in the lineup after missing Sunday's game at Toronto due to a bruised right thigh, but he didn't return after re-injuring it in the first half. He had two points in 11 minutes.

76ers: Embiid last played in Philadelphia's nationally televised game against Oklahoma City on Friday night, finishing with 34 points, eight rebounds and six assists in the 76ers' 119-117 triple-overtime loss. ... Prior to the game, the 76ers honored Philadelphia native and South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks play at Temple on Thursday night. ... J.J. Redick left after injuring his hamstring. He had eight points in 15 minutes.

UP NEXT

Kings: Finish four-game road trip at Brooklyn on Wednesday night.

Sixers: Host Toronto on Thursday night in the first game of a home-and-home series. Philadelphia will play at the Raptors on Saturday night.

(Copyright 2017 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)