A Royal Pain
Fansided

Monday night brings big opportunity for the Sacramento Kings

By Jonathan Roberts

SACRAMENTO, CA - DECEMBER 12: De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings reacts against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 12, 2018 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - DECEMBER 12: De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings reacts against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 12, 2018 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Monday is a big day for the Sacramento Kings, as they and both teams directly ahead of them in the standings play tonight—giving them a huge opportunity to move up in the standings.

Are you not entertained? The race for the 2018-19 Western Conference playoffs is shaping up to be one of the more exciting playoff races in recent memory, but the Sacramento Kings currently sit on the outside looking in. That could change tonight.

With the Sacramento Kings in action against the Minnesota Timberwolves in what might as well be a must-win game, the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers are as well, playing the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks, respectively.

This provides a major opportunity, maybe more of a chance, for the Sacramento Kings to make up serious ground in the playoff standings in a single bound. The Kings, of course, have to take care of business against Minnesota—that much is a given. But, should the Kings win and both the Clippers and Spurs fall, Sacramento will find themselves in sole possession of the Western Conference’s 7th seed, positioned for a first round date with the Denver Nuggets and just one game back of the 6th seed.

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Needless to say, tonight is a big night for the Kings. Especially as they get ready to head into March—the final full month of the season and a month rife with big, must-win games against bottom-feeding teams and teams immediately ahead of them in the standings.

Suffice to say, however, this single day of play isn’t the end all be all for the Sacramento Kings 2018-19 season. If they lose tonight and both the Spurs and Clippers win, they’re not doomed to miss the playoffs, it would just give them a bigger hole to climb out of.

Fortunately for Sacramento, they have the second-easiest remaining schedule (.467) schedule among teams in the Western Conference playoff race, while the Clippers (.482) and Spurs (.493) have slightly more difficult schedules  to contend with. The 6th seeded Utah Jazz (.444) have the easiest remaining schedule remaining in the entire NBA, while the Los Angeles Lakers (.522) and Timberwolves (.543) have the hardest remaining schedules of any of the five teams currently between 6-11, or with a reasonable chance at making the playoffs. A loss to the Sacramento Kings tonight, however, would essentially end any realistic chance Minnesota has at making the playoffs—even if it was never all that real to begin with.

Looking towards the future, one thing to keep an eye on as the playoffs get closer: the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Sacramento Kings have had OKC’s number this year, going 3-1 against them after a huge win on Saturday night. They’re who the Kings should be hoping for in any potential playoff series if they want to have a shot at moving past round one (not that they will). Sadly for the Kings, the Thunder have the hardest remaining schedule in the league and even with MVP-candidate Paul George playing out of his mind, they’ll be hard pressed to steal a top-two seed.

Next. Playoffs or not, the 2018-19 season is a success. dark

Ignoring remaining schedules and potential playoff matchups though, tonight is huge for the Sacramento Kings. For a young team that’s never been in a playoff race, or any team for that matter, it’s much easier to play relaxed and not force things when you’re playing to defend a playoff spot, not chase one. Regardless of the outcome though, tonight and the next six or so weeks will provide one of the more exciting times in recent history for the Sacramento Kings and their fans who certainly deserve a playoff berth after 12 years without one.

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