Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (12) shoots over Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) during the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sat Jan 21, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Saturday night in Sacramento. The Kings were on the second night of a back-to-back Saturday night after playing the night before. The Kings faced the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night in Sacramento. The Kings managed to put the Thunder down to the final score of 118-113. The Kings welcomed the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday at 7 PM PST. The Kings fell to the 76ers 129-127 in a tough loss.

In the first quarter, the Kings started the game playing well. The Kings, immediately after tip-off, started to put pressure on the 76ers. The Kings offense started hot with 35 points in the first quarter. Kevin Huerter had seven points in the first quarter to get the Kings going. On the defensive end, the Kings played well. The Kings held the 76ers to 27 points in the first quarter to jump to the early 35-27 lead.

In the second quarter, The Kings continued to play well. Harrison Barnes was on fire from the perimeter in the first half, scoring 17 points. The Kings built a dominant lead early in the second quarter but then lost some of it heading into halftime. The Kings would end the half leading 74-64 after outscoring the 76ers 39-37 in the second quarter. The Kings looked in control of the game but would need to limit mistakes in the second half not to give away the lead.

In the third quarter, the Kings play was atrocious. The Kings fell apart in the third quarter to a 76ers team that was down James Harden and Joel Embiid. The Kings only managed to score 22 points in the third quarter. However, the Kings offensive woes were nothing compared to the defense.

The Kings allowed the 76ers to score 38 points in the third quarter as they rallied back and took the lead going into the final quarter of the game. The Kings and 76ers would go into the fourth quarter with the 76ers leading 102-96. It was a meltdown of historic proportions for the Kings who would look to get back on track in the last quarter of play.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings fought hard but could not come away with a win. The Kings outscored the 76ers 31-27 in the final quarter. However, the 76ers pulled out the 129-127 short-handed victory. It was a tough blow for the Kings who had a commanding lead in the first half just to see it evaporate.

The Kings biggest struggle was on the glass as they were outrebounded almost 2-1. Leading the way for the Kings in defeat was De’Aaron Fox who had 31 points.The 76ers best performance came from Tyrese Maxey who dropped 32 points in the game. The Kings would look to turn the page as they will face a tough opponent on Monday.

Up Next: The Kings welcome the red hot Memphis Grizzlies into Golden 1 Center on Monday at 7 PM PST.