Sixers face old friend Sam Dalembert tonight when they visit the Kings
Sam Dalembert, dealt to Sacramento by the SIxers this offseason, is playing well of late for the Kings. The Sixers will have to keep him in check in this important next-to-last game of a long road trip.
After Wednesday's win against the Clippers in Los Angeles, the Sixers improved to 1-2 on this five-game road trip and tied the New York Knicks at the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks won last night to take a half-game lead.
This game is very important for the Sixers tonight as they face a struggling Sacramento team. The Sixers can't afford to lose games like this if they want to overtake the Knicks for that sixth spot, and they play a good Portland team on Saturday, so securing a win here is a must.
Here's a look at some keys for the Sixers.
*Contain the inside game of the Kings: Over his past eight games, rookie DeMarcus Cousins is averaging 18.8 points and 11.8 rebounds. Dalembert has been on fire of late, going for 19.7 pointys and 11.3 rebounds in his past three games. The Sixers can't allow the two of them to get off.
*Rebound. With Cousins and Dalembert the Kings have two players who don't get up and down the floor all that well. If the Sixers can rebound they should be able to get out and run, which as we all know, is when they're at their best.
*Keep the tempo up. With Tyreke Evans still out with plantar fasciitis, Cousins, along with Marcus Thornton, has become a leader of this team. Still, he is somewhat out of shape. The more the Sixers can make him get up and down the floor, the better off they'll be.
*Get a good game from Jrue Holiday. The Sixers guard struggled for the first two losses of the trip at Milwaukee and Utah, then had more trouble in the first half at Los Angeles before turning it on in the second half. The Sixers need a strong 35 minutes from him every night.
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