Daeqwon Plowden #29 of the Sacramento Kings drives to the basket during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 19, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO, Calif, — The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Thursday night against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Golden 1 Center. The Kings, coming off a blowout loss at home at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs, were winners of four of their last six games and looking to continue their recent stretch of solid work.

The Kings fell to the hobbled Philadelphia 76ers 139-118 on Thursday night, and their record fell to 18-53 on the season.

In the first quarter, the 76ers jumped out to a big early advantage as the offense put up a monstrous 45 points in the opening frame. Justin Edwards and VJ Edgecombe scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, to get the 76ers off to their quick lead. The Kings managed 33 points of their own to keep the game within striking distance but dug themselves a deep hole, heading into the second quarter down 12 points. Maxime Raynaud led the Kings in the quarter with nine points and two assists.

In the second quarter, it was a rollercoaster ride as the Kings went up big in the early minutes but only managed to outscore the 76ers 29-26 when the dust settled, taking a 71-62 deficit into halftime. The 76ers were led in the quarter by Quentin Grimes, who scored 12 of the 76ers’ points in the second to bring his first-half total to 20 heading into the break. VJ Edgecombe and Justin Edwards scored 18 and 15, respectively, in the first half to carry a big portion of the 76ers’ scoring. The Kings were led in the first half by 16 points from Maxime Raynaud, nine from Doug McDermott, and nine from Russell Westbrook.

In the third quarter, the 76ers turned it up a gear once again and rocked the Kings, outscoring them 36-27 to reestablish themselves in the game. VJ Edgecombe continued to shine for the 76ers and added 13 points to his total of 31 through three quarters of the game. DeMar DeRozan found another gear in the third quarter for the Kings as he scored 13 points. The Kings found themselves in a 107-89 hole as they headed to the fourth down by 18 points.

In the fourth quarter, Dominick Barlow and Justin Edwards scored 10 and 12 points, respectively, in the quarter to up their game totals to 12 and 32, respectively, as the 76ers outscored the Kings 32-29 in the final frame. VJ Edgecombe led the 76ers in scoring with 38 points, and Quentin Grimes also contributed 27 points (20 in the first half). On the Kings’ side, Maxime Raynaud scored 30 points, and it was his second straight game of scoring 30+ after scoring 32 on Tuesday against the Spurs. Daeqwon Plowden was another bright spot for the Kings as he scored 20 points in just over 31 minutes of action, getting the start for Doug Christie.

Maxime Raynaud was a subject of discussion after the game as he has shown recently his ability to score at a high level from multiple spots on the floor. It certainly seems the Kings have found their backup center behind Domantas Sabonis going into next season.

The Kings will stay home to take on the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday at 3 p.m. PST inside the Golden 1 Center.