Kings collapse late, fall to Sixers in Alvin Gentry's debut / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports Credit Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Andre Drummond collected a game-high 23 rebounds and contributed a critical dunk to a late run Monday night as the visiting Philadelphia 76ers spoiled Alvin Gentry's debut as the Sacramento Kings' interim coach with a 102-94 victory.

Player of the Game EFF 25 Andre Drummond Points 9 Accuracy 3-8 Rebounds 23 Assists 3

The loss was the fourth in a row and eighth in the last nine games for the Kings, who fired Luke Walton on Sunday and replaced him with Gentry, who had been an assistant.

The move didn't stop the Kings' bleeding, as the 76ers, even without Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Seth Curry and Ben Simmons, were able to take advantage of slumping Sacramento to win for just the second time in their past eight games.

The Kings squandered a nine-point, fourth-quarter lead.

Filling in for Embiid, Drummond produced his second-highest rebound total of the season. He had 25 in a home loss to the New York Knicks on Nov. 8.

After a De'Aaron Fox layup had the Kings within 93-92 with 3:17 to go, the 76ers scored the next nine points. Drummond began the run with a free throw, then made it a four-point game with his dunk.

Shake Milton and Tyrese Maxey combined for six free throws in the last 46.1 seconds to ice the win, which was the 76ers' second on a six-game trip that ends Wednesday at Golden State.

Milton finished with 16 points and Matisse Thybulle 15 for the 76ers, who held the Kings without a field goal over the final three minutes.

Drummond had nine points to go with his 23 rebounds, while Georges Niang added 12 points and Furkan Korkmaz and Isaiah Joe had 11 apiece for the visitors.

Fox scored 23 points and Buddy Hield had 21 for the Kings, who lost at home for the third time in the past four nights.

Richaun Holmes totaled 18 points to go with a team-high eight rebounds, while Harrison Barnes chipped in with 10 points for the Kings, who shot just 7-for-31 (22.6 percent) from 3-point range.

The teams fought a tight battle until Marvin Bagley III and Hield opened the fourth quarter with baskets that gave Sacramento the biggest lead of the game for either team at that point, 86-77 with 9:46 to go.

The 76ers subsequently scored six straight to get back within three, and when Milton hit a short jumper with 4:34 remaining, Philadelphia had the lead for good at 91-90.

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