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2023-24 NBA Regular Season
Philadelphia 76ers v Sacramento Kings
Wells Fargo Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Saturday 13 January 2024
Tip-off at 01:30
Philadelphia 76ers will be looking to take their winning streak against Sacramento Kings into double figures at the Wells Fargo Center on the morning of Saturday, January 13.
The Sixers have won their last nine regular-season meetings against the KIngs, who last came out on top on 2 February 2019 when they triumphed 123-114 in Philadelphia.
But Nick Nurse's team have struggled to put a winning sequence together since picking up six victories on the spin at the start of December and didn't make the best of starts to the New Year.
After beating Chicago Bulls on January 3, they suffered back-to-back defeats against New York Knicks and Utah Jazz to remain third in the Eastern Conference with a record of 23-12.
Nurse was without star man Joel Embiid (swollen knee), Tobias Harris (ankle), De'Anthony Melton (lumbar spine soreness) and Robert Covington (illness) for the game against the Jazz and he admitted the overall numbers weren't good enough.
Suggested photo: Philadelphia 76ers point guard Tyrese Maxey
The Sixers were poor from the 3-point line and they won just four offensive rebounds in the second half, with Tyrese Maxey their best performer after posting 25 points and nine assists.
"Even though you're missing whatever, five guys, those guys can collectively play together better than that," Nurse said. "They can execute better, they can defend better than that.
"They can make those open shots. There was plenty of shots to step into and make. When you're short-handed, you've got to play better than that."
The Kings have fared marginally better in the opening week of 2024, beating Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors while losing to Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans.
A record of 21-14 sees Mike Brown's team occupy fifth place in the Western Conference, although Dallas Mavericks (6th) and the Pelicans (7th) are breathing down their necks.
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The Kings were no match for the Pelicans in a 133-100 rout on January 8 as star point guard De'Aaron Fox scored just three points and Brown apologised to Sacramento fans who "spent their money coming to watch the game today".
"Give New Orleans a lot of credit," he said. "They came in here and they just flat-out kicked our [butts], and did it for four quarters.
"For us to perform that way and the lack of fight to get back in the game, stay in the game... was nonexistent."
Philadelphia 76ers v Sacramento Kings - Head-to-head, Regular Season
Games played: 300
Sixers wins: 172
Kings wins: 128
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