Philadelphia 76ers (38-32) beat Sacramento Kings (18-53) 139-118 on the road on Thursday, March 19. The final margin was 21 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The 76ers had the better start, winning the first 45-33 to lead by 12 after one. The Kings cut into the deficit with a 29-26 second quarter, though the 76ers still led by 9 at halftime.
The 76ers won the third 36-27 to create some separation, taking a 18-point lead into the fourth. The 76ers took the fourth 32-29; the 76ers finished the job for a 139-118 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The 76ers took better care of the ball, turning it over on 8.6% of possessions compared with 12.9% for the Kings. The 76ers grabbed 38.6% of their own misses, while the Kings recovered 30.4%. Those extra possessions were crucial.
At roughly 103 possessions per team, the 76ers produced 135.4 points per 100 possessions to 114.9 for the Kings.
The Kings' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 34-17.
Who stood out
VJ Edgecombe was the game's biggest individual force for PHI: 38 pts, 7 reb, 11 ast on 16-28 shooting. His Game Score of 36.4 led everyone. His team was +44 with him on the floor.
Maxime Raynaud led the Kings with 30 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast on 11-17 shooting, good for a 25.4 Game Score.
VJ Edgecombe (38 pts, 7 reb, 11 ast) and Andre Drummond (13 pts, 11 reb, 4 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 57% for the 76ers.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Philadelphia 76ers lead 2-1.
The 76ers are now 38-32, and the Kings are 18-53. The 76ers last five before this game: W-L-W-W-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.