The Western Conference is tighter than my pants after Thanksgiving dinner! The Sacramento Kings were knocked from 6th to 7th seed by the Dallas Mavericks, who then claimed 6th for themselves, on Tuesday, March 26th. While I was watching the first half of the game, I was thinking I would write about what a physical game the two teams were playing, that you can tell that the players knew how important that game was, and that it was giving serious playoff vibes. But now that the game is over, I sure as hell can’t write that because if that was the playoffs, the Kings would be embarrassed.

While the first half finished with the Kings only down, 58-53, they ended up losing 96-132. It felt like Dallas guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving could not miss, and it was pretty darn close to that; Doncic and Irving shot 50% and 44% from 3, respectively. The whole team shot 56% from 3, which is insane; their season average is 36.8%, and in their last two games, the team shot 13.3% and 28.6%. The Kings really needed to win this game. I heard several commentators say this was one of the most important games of the season. The Kings and the Mavericks were tied in the standings coming into the game; both teams were at 42 wins and 29 losses, but the Kings currently have the tiebreaker because we beat them twice early on in the season. So, if the Kings could have won, they would have guaranteed keeping the tiebreaker for the rest of the season, and with the standings this close, that tiebreaker is more important than ever.

To not only lose, but lose by 36 was beyond disappointing. Luckily for the Kings, they have a chance on Friday, March 29th, to take the 6th seed back as they play the Mavericks again. Maybe everyone was wrong about that last game, and THIS is now the most important game of the season. If the Kings lose, they will be behind the Mavericks by two wins; if they win, we just might claim that last playoff spot. The other team we need to watch out for is the Phoenix Suns. They also have the same record as the Kings, and we are tied in head-to-head matchups 2-2, but we must have more divisional or conference wins than they do because we currently sit in 7th while they are in 8th. So, long story short, things are about as close as they can be.

By the time you read this, the Kings could have moved down again if the Suns managed to beat the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, March 27th. The Suns also play on Friday, March 29th, against the Oklahoma City Thunder, so I’m going to need you all, while you’re rooting for the Kings on Friday, to also be rooting for the Thunder. Don’t let the score of the last game discourage you; Friday is a new day and a new game, and anything can happen. We only have ten games left this season before it’s playoff time.

After Friday’s game against the Mavs, the Kings play two more games at home, first on Sunday, March 31st, against the Utah Jazz, who are on a losing streak and who we’ve done well against this season, and then on Tuesday, April 2nd, against the Los Angeles Clippers, who sit in 4th place in the West and who we are 1-2 against in head-to-head matchups. It’s going to be a hard end to the season, and there is no room to relax in the slightest. Let’s go Kings, beat the Mavs!