Winners and Losers From Kings' Blowout Loss to 76ers

The 76ers came out hot, with 45 points in the first quarter, and never looked back. The Kings did a decent job slowing them down in the second quarter, allowing just 26 points, but the 76ers were able to find gaps in the Kings' defense all night long. They moved the ball, attacked the rim, and made their threes, making the 139-point performance look casual.

VJ Edgecombe was a huge reason why, as he finished with a career-high 38 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds. It was a monster game for the rookie, who especially took advantage of the opportunity to get to the rim.

Even with Dylan Cardwell back, the Kings' lack of defense on the perimeter was evident tonight. The 76ers shot the lights out of the ball, making 17 of their 36 three-point attempts, but tonight was a good example of how much work is left on the defensive side of the ball for Sacramento for next season and beyond.

Winner - Daeqwon Plowden

With Nique Clifford's injury, Daeqwon Plowden once again got the nod for the starting lineup, and just like we've seen before, he took advantage. He finished with 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field and 4-of-8 from three.

He, along with Doug McDermott off the bench, has become one of the highest volume three-point shooters on the team, filling a true three-and-D role. That's just not the type of player the Kings have on the roster right now, outside of him. Plowden is fighting for his NBA life, and proving to the league that he deserves another chance somewhere next season.

Loser - Malik Monk

After missing the last four games, Malik Monk returned to the court, but collided with Andre Drummond while attacking the basket. He stayed in the game, but didn't play in the second half tonight.

He finished with just four points on 1-of-5 from the field in his 15:32 minutes, but also had five assists in the limited action. The Kings don't have many ball-handlers and creators right now, so missing Monk looked like a big reason this game went lopsided in the second half. Even when Monk isn't scoring, he can run the Kings' offense, especially in the pick and roll with both Raynaud and Cardwell. We'll have to wait to find out more, but it's unfortunate timing for Monk right after his return to action.