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Sacramento Kings: Tonight Is The Biggest Game Of The Season

By Anthony Cardenas

PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 07: De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings directs his team during the second half of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center on March 07, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. The Sacramento Kings topped the Portland Trail Blazers, 123-111. 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. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 07: De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings directs his team during the second half of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center on March 07, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. The Sacramento Kings topped the Portland Trail Blazers, 123-111. 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. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /
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The Sacramento Kings will welcome Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans tonight in the Kings’ only nationally televised game of the season.

When you have an outside shot at a playoff spot with a month left in the regular season, every game in which you are still alive is the biggest game of the season. Every contest matters more than the last one, and every loss inches you closer to packing your bags for the off season. But for the Sacramento Kings, Wednesday night’s contest against the New Orleans Pelicans will be likely have a playoff atmosphere.

For the first time all season, the Kings will be featured on national television as part of ESPN’s Wednesday night double header. Zion Williamson will make his first appearance in Sacramento, and his first appearance against the Kings altogether.

The rookie has been quite the revelation after coming back from an injured knee that caused him to miss the first 44 games of the season. In his 19 career games, Williamson is averaging 23.6 points and the Pelicans are 10-9. He has been the talk of the NBA for the last month and a half, and has certainly lived up to the hype thus far.

Coming in to tonight’s game, the Kings and Pelicans share identical 28-36 records, creating a three-way tie with the Portland Trail Blazers at 3.5 games behind the idol Grizzlies and the 8th and final playoff spot.

Whoever wins tonight’s contest inside Golden 1 Center will have the upper hand at least for another night. The Trail Blazers play on Friday night against the Grizzlies, a game that will certainly have an adverse effect on the playoff race. As of Friday morning, the Kings held a 12 percent chance of making the playoffs, per FiveThiryEight’s Elo Forecast. The Grizzlies have the upper hand at 44 percent, followed by the Pelicans at 26 percent. The Trail Blazers and Spurs round out the possible candidates, with each of their chances sitting at 9 percent.

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Those numbers are subject to change tonight. Should the Kings defeat the Pelicans, they will tie the season series with the finale coming in just 11 days on March 22nd in New Orleans.

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