When the rivals meet on Friday night in the capital of California, the Sacramento Kings will have the opportunity to watch the scoreboard before deciding how important a win over the Golden State Warriors might be.
The Kings (48-32), who have previously secured the Pacific Division title, are guaranteed no more regrettable than the No. 3rd in the playoffs of the Western Conference.
They could still finish second, but it would require the Kings to finish on a two-game winning streak and the Memphis Grizzlies (50-30) to lose both of their remaining games.
On Friday night, the Memphis Grizzlies will take on the Milwaukee Bucks in a game that should end around the time the Kings take on the Warriors.
The Warriors (42-38), who are in a much tighter playoff position than Sacramento, could get a big break if Memphis wins, rendering the Kings’ home game meaningless.
Los Angeles holds the tiebreaker, so Golden State and the Clippers will take the court in fifth place in the West. With victories over Sacramento and Portland on Sunday, the Warriors could still pass the Clippers, but more importantly, they would ensure that they would not fall below the sixth playoff spot.
If Golden State wins on Friday and the Warriors lose to the Kings, the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans, who also hold tiebreaker advantages over Golden State, could catch Golden State. In Friday’s nightcap, the Lakers will play the Suns at home, and the Pelicans will play the New York Knicks at home in a game that starts two hours before the game in Sacramento.
The Kings confronted a comparably centered rival around Wednesday when they fell 123-119 to a frantic Dallas Protesters crew in a game that might have moved Sacramento inside one round of the Grizzlies.
On the eve of the playoffs, Sacramento coach Mike Brown stated that there was a lesson to be learned.
The perception that the Warriors would prefer to face Sacramento in the playoffs rather than alternatives such as the Grizzlies or Suns is one reason for the Kings to take a serious approach to Golden State’s visit, regardless of whether it has any significance in the standings.
Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have both stated this publicly over the past week, despite the fact that both players insisted it was not personal.
The Warriors were beaten 122-115 in their main past visit to Sacramento this season. In the first three weeks of the season, the teams played three times, with Golden State winning at home by scores of 130-125 and 116-113.
