It's all about the Bench-amins, baby!

Two weeks ago Sacramento stormed into the Wachovia Center and took its first road win of the season. Mikki Moore tied a career high with 24 points and Brad Miller had a double-double with 25 and 10. Tonight those two combined for just 16 points as the Kings struggled to penetrate the Sixers zone all night.

The Sixers opened their six-game western swing with a 92-80 win over the Kings. The game stayed close until a 19-4 fourth quarter run put Philly up for good. A couple of guys crucial to that run were Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young, who helped the Philly bench along to 31 points (more than doubling the Kings bench).

I'll tell you something-- Lou Williams gains more confidence and gets better with each game. I was very VERY critical of him at first because I thought it would have been in his best interest to spend at least a year in college and beef up a bit. He did not impress me in his first two seasons, with a stint in the D-League and minimal production. With the departure of Allen Iverson and the uncertainty of Andre Miller's future with the team, "Sweet Lou" has taken the opportunity to play and run with it.

Thaddeus Young also has some major potential. His recent increase in playing time has been great for his development. He's a scrappy player. But enough on that for now, more player analysis to come in the 2008 team preview.

The Sixers have won three in a row and are 8-3 in their last 11 games.

The surging Trailblazers await the Sixers in Portland for a Sunday afternoon matchup. They’ve won 12 in a row and go for the baker’s dozen against Philly. A win over the Blazers could put the ever-improving Sixers on the radar for the rest of the NBA. Will Mo Cheeks' return to Portland be a successful one? Only time will tell.

~emz