The Philadelphia 76ers took the floor in Sacramento on Monday night, looking to bounce back from their loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Getting back on track would not be easy, as Tobias Harris and Seth Curry were late scratches for the Sixers due to injury.
Despite being without four of their five starters, the Sixers still managed to come out on top. Behind a true team effort, they beat the unraveling Kings by a final score of 102-94.
Sacramento did not roll over easy, and multiple players had big nights in an attempt to win their first game under new interim head coach Alvin Gentry. One of the Kings who had a big performance was Buddy Hield. In 31 minutes off the bench, the sharpshooting guard scored 21 points and connected on five of his 11 attempts from beyond the arc.
While much of the talk had to do with Monday night's game, there were multiple underlying storylines pertaining to these two teams. Throughout the summer, Sacramento was one of the common names connected to the Ben Simmons saga.
Not only were the Kings linked to Simmons in rumors, but the three-time All-Star also cited he preferred to be dealt to a California team. One roadblock in these talks was the Kings' unwillingness to put players like De'Aaron Fox or Tyrese Haliburton on the table.
There's no telling if Hield went into this matchup like an audition. But if he did, he put on an incredible show. From the moment he first stepped on the court, the 28-year-old torched the Sixers' defense with a barrage of triples.
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Hield did more than turn heads with his scoring outburst. In the game's closing minute, he also had a short conversation with head coach Doc Rivers. Though it is unknown what was actually said, it could have been more than a coincidence given the behind-the-scenes circumstances:
What did Buddy Hield say to Doc Rivers last night? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/rFV4qHrmNg
— The Liberty Line (@LibertyLinePHL) November 23, 2021
When the Kings were in the mix for Simmons this offseason, Hield was who their return package was centered around. There had to be some part of him that saw Monday's game as a chance to impress a team in hopes of getting a change of scenery.
No matter what the return might be, the Kings remain a team to keep an eye on until the Simmons saga has come to end. Daryl Morey remained patient, hoping a team stumbles out of the gate, and Sacramento has done just that.
The Kings are desperate to end their playoff drought and have already begun making drastic changes in hopes of getting back on track. Firing their head coach could be the first step in them making a panic move to get them into the playoff hunt.
Morey might still have his sights set on a home-run trade for Simmons, but Hield certainly did his best to show he could be just as fine an addition as some of his other backcourt partners.
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