The Sixers trailed by as many as 18 points Friday night against the Sacramento Kings before surging ahead in the second half for a 114-107 win at the Wells Fargo Center.
Nerlens Noel helped seal the victory in the final minute by catching a perfect lob from Ish Smith for an alley-opp and converting some key free throws.
Jason Richardson, who does not play in back-to-back sets to take care of his knee, did not face the Kings. The Sixers decided to play him Saturday night when they host the Brooklyn Nets.
Turning point
The Sixers trailed by 18 points with 8:46 to play in the third quarter. They outscored the Kings, 33-9, the rest of the way and took an 88-82 lead into the final period.
In the third, the Sixers shot 65.2 percent from the floor and held Sacramento to 31.3 percent from the field.
Follow the leader
Robert Covington led the Sixers with 24 points and he tied his career high with six three-pointers.
Noel (16), Jerami Grant (13), Luc Mbah a Moute (10), Hollis Thompson (10), JaKarr Sampson (10) and Smith (10) also scored in double figures for the Sixers.
DeMarcus Cousins had game highs with with 39 points and 24 rebounds. It was the fifth time in his five-year career that Cousins had at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game, with the All-Star center scoring at least 30 points in three of those contests.
Rudy Gay added 24 points for the Kings.
Stat-egic
Cousins was the first player in the NBA to have 39 points and 24 rebounds in a game since Chris Webber did so in 2001. Ironically, Webber wore a Kings uniform when he had those statistics as well.
Take a bow
Noel had his hands full with the 6-foot-11 Cousins, who is listed as 50 pounds heavier than the Sixers' center.
Noel managed his 12th double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 boards to go along with four assists and one block.
What's next?
The Sixers close out their five-game homestand against the Nets on Saturday.
The Sixers will face an old friend in Thaddeus Young in the matchup. Young was traded from Minnesota to Brooklyn at the trade deadline.
Since joining the Nets, Young is averaging 13.0 points and 4.7 rebounds a game. He is shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 55.0 percent from behind the arc. He has played in 11 games for Brooklyn and has started the past three contests.