Only one week left in the regular season of NBA basketball! If you told me two years ago that I would be disappointed in a Sacramento Kings play-in tournament spot, I’d tell you that you are crazy. But that is where we’re at, and even after all those years of not making the playoffs (17!), the Kings made such a turnaround last year and have impressed us so much that just making the play-in feels like a letdown. And I know that’s not the attitude I should have for the last week of the season leading up to the play-in, but I can’t help it.
After watching the Kings claw back from being down 14 at the beginning of the fourth quarter to actually being in the lead in the last 27 seconds and then lose by only one point to the Boston Celtics, I was stoked when the Kings were up by 20 in the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. If we could win that game, we would be in a decent position to take that 6th playoff spot. But alas, my excitement was short-lived; the Kings’ offense let them down again, and after scoring only 23 points in the third quarter and 18 in the fourth quarter, the Kings gave up their 20-point lead and lost to the Thunder 105-112.
Our chances of getting that 6th playoff spot are not zero, but it is not likely. This week, we have a back-to-back against the two teams that are ahead of us in the standings, the New Orleans Pelicans and the Phoenix Suns. Not only do we have to beat these teams and the Portland Trail Blazers in the last game of the season, but we also need the Pelicans to lose all three of their games. I don’t know if you remember, but the New Orleans Pelicans have been the bane of our existence all season, and the Kings are going to have a tough time beating them.
At this point I’m not really hoping for that sixth playoff spot, I’m just hoping the Kings don’t fall down to 9th or 10th in the play-in tournament. Look what you’ve done to me, Sacramento Kings! I used to be so optimistic! I guess I need to dig deep and find that optimistic spirit I know is in there.
The Kings have the opportunity to impress us for one last week before the play-in tournament takes place. Keep in mind that the play-in tournament’s first game is on Tuesday, April 16th, so I won’t be able to let you know if the Kings will be playing that day; you’ll have to check the schedule yourself! But I can tell you that the Kings play the Pelicans on Thursday, April 11th, the Suns on Friday, April 12th, and the Trailblazers on Sunday, April 14th, and all these games are must-win. Go Kings! Let’s keep that beam lit all week!