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Sixers look for 2 in a row for first time since November

Feb 1, 2013 - 3:29 PM (Sports Network) - Nick Young is starting to get acclimated with scoring in bunches for the Philadelphia 76ers and will try to lead his team to consecutive wins for the first time since late November Friday night versus the Sacramento Kings.

Young is averaging 17.8 ppg in his last four games and has started each of the previous three. The first-year Sixer scored 18 points and buried 3-of-6 3- pointers in Wednesday's 92-84 victory over the Washington Wizards. Young is also averaging 3.0 assists over the past four games and has four steals with four turnovers.

Young, a former member of the Wizards, was benched by head coach Doug Collins on Jan. 12 versus Houston and learned a lesson from it.

"That DNP, it hurt," Young said. "Sitting on the sideline, I don't want to get back to that. I'm starting to buy into what the coaches are talking about."

Jrue Holiday scored a game-high 21 points, while Thaddeus Young and Lavoy Allen each netted 14 points for the Sixers, who are 2-1 on a season-long eight-game homestand and 13-11 at Wells Fargo Center.

Spencer Hawes ended with 12 points and 11 boards in the win. The 76ers haven't recorded back-to-back wins since winning three in a row from Nov. 25-30 and will also entertain the Magic, Pacers, Bobcats and Clippers on the trek.

Points in the paint has been an aid to Philly's recent success and it is outscoring opponents by an average of 8.7 points down low in the past six games. Holiday, meanwhile, is averaging 23.8 ppg in the past eight contests.

Sacramento will continue its six-game road trip Friday and dropped a 99-81 decision at Boston the last time out on Wednesday. Paul Pierce led six Celtics in double-figures with 16 points.

Tyreke Evans had a game-high 19 points and 11 rebounds, while DeMarcus Cousins added 13 points for the Kings, who have lost five of their past six games and were outscored, 37-14, in the decisive second quarter.

"I think we played a pretty good basketball game except for the second quarter," Sacramento coach Keith Smart said. "If you look at the rest of the game, we played a pretty decent game. But we couldn't make up for that ground that we gave up in the second quarter."

Evans is averaging 15.9 ppg in the last seven games for the Kings, owners of a lowly 5-18 record away from California's capital city. Sacramento, which was coming off a two-point win at Washington and is 1-2 on the current swing, will also visit the Knicks and Jazz before returning to Sleep Train Arena.

The Kings need Cousins to get back to his dominant form. He has averages of 10.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in the previous four games after averaging 21.7 ppg and 13.3 rpg six games prior to his dropoff.

Sacramento lost the lone meeting with Philadelphia a season ago, a 112-85 blowout at Wells Fargo Center, and will host the Sixers March 24. The 76ers have won eight of the last 10 meetings with the Kings.