Haven’t we done this one before? A year ago, the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors faced off in what was, in hindsight, the single most fun series of the 2023 postseason. A rollicking seven-game bloodbath swung only by the grace of Stephen Curry, whose 50-point explosion on Sacramento’s home court sent the Warriors to the second round and the Kings home in disappointment.
Now, the Warriors and Kings are set for their second postseason bout in as many years, but neither side is quite the same team they were a year ago. The Kings, who remained in the top six for much of the season, slipped into the Play-In when they lost key guards Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk to injuries. The Warriors have been at the bottom of the postseason standings for quite some time now, and their roster looks very different than it did a year ago. Chris Paul has arrived. Klay Thompson is a reserve. Rookies Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis have elevated to key roles.
So who will come out on top when the Kings and Warriors engage in their far briefer rematch? Here’s everything you need to know for Tuesday’s do-or-die bout.
Warriors at Kings
Date: Tuesday, April 16 | Time: 10 p.m. ET
Location: Golden 1 Center — Sacramento
TV channel: TNT | Live stream: TNT app
Odds: Warriors -2; O/U 226
Storylines
Warriors: Obviously, the Warriors are hoping to extend their season with a win on Tuesday. Looming over the proceedings, though, is the very real chance that this game represents the end of an era for Golden State. Klay Thompson can be a free agent after the season. Orlando is reportedly interested. Warriors owner Joe Lacob has talked about hoping to duck below the luxury-tax line next season, a reasonable goal considering this year’s disappointment and the hundreds of millions of dollars the Warriors have spent on taxes over the past several seasons. The Kings would love nothing more than to officially end Golden State’s dynasty. Whether or not anyone admits it, that’s on the line Tuesday.
Kings: Sacramento just doesn’t have the same team it did a year ago. They managed to overcome Kevin Huerter’s injury thanks to the emergence of Keon Ellis and a remarkable stretch of defense from a team that had the greatest offense in NBA history a year ago. Malik Monk’s loss might be one injury too many. The Kings are 4-6 without him, but the eye-test is far worse. Everything runs through De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis right now, and Sabonis struggled mightily against Draymond Green last postseason. This is going to have to be a very different stylistic game than the ones the Kings won in the first round last season. Can Sacramento win a slower, grind-it-out contest against a four-time champion?
Prediction
The Warriors are coming into this game healthier than they’ve been all season. They have their whole roster available to them and 82 games worth of intel to work with in figuring out how best to deploy it. The Kings are on the other end of the spectrum. On opening night, they may well have been the better team. Without Huerter and Monk, they are just too thin to beat playoff-mode Curry. For the second consecutive season, the Warriors will knock the Kings out. The Pick: Warriors -2