VJ Edgecombe and Justin Edwards both had career nights as the Sixers defeated the Sacramento Kings. Several Sixers youngsters reached milestones in the 139-118 win.
Edgecombe’s Huge Night
VJ Edgecombe was tremendous for the Sixers, setting new NBA highs in both points (38) and assists (11). Justin Edwards also had a career-best scoring game, tallying 32 points on 11-for-18 shooting. He went 7 for 11 from three-point range. Quentin Grimes put up 27 points and seven assists.
Rookie big man Maxime Raynaud posted 30 points in defeat for the 18-53 Kings.
Sixers’ Injury Situation
The 38-32 Sixers were still without Joel Embiid (right oblique strain), Tyrese Maxey (right pinky sprain), Paul George (suspension), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left elbow sprain) and Johni Broome (right knee surgery recovery). Embiid was initially upgraded from out to doubtful on the Sixers’ injury report, indicating he’s moving closer to a return. He missed his 11th straight game.
First Quarter Fireworks
Both Edgecombe and Edwards played the full first quarter, totaling 25 points on 10-for-16 shooting. Edwards hit three early three-pointers. Edgecombe and Andre Drummond both made two triples in the opening frame.
Following a 9-for-41 night, the Sixers went 7 for 12 in the first quarter. At one point, the Sixers were 14 for 18 from the field and the Kings were 11 for 14. The team committed zero turnovers in the first period.
Edwards and Edgecombe teamed up for a highlight alley-oop in the final minute of the first. Edgecombe capped the quarter with a buzzer-beating mid-range jumper to give the Sixers a 45-33 lead.
Lowry’s Role
The Sixers’ 11-man rotation included Jabari Walker, who logged six minutes after missing the past three games with an illness. Kyle Lowry played in three straight games for the first time this season. Before this run, he’d appeared in just nine games and never for two in a row.
The Sixers struggled with Lowry in and Grimes the lone starter on the floor early in the second quarter. Raynaud and Doug McDermott made threes against the Sixers’ zone, the team’s offense cooled off drastically, and Sacramento took a 50-49 edge with a pair of Killian Hayes free throws.
The Sixers will visit the Jazz on Saturday night in the final contest of their three-game West Coast road trip.