Breaking down the second-half schedule for the Kings
Key games for the Sacramento Kings in mid-March
It’s aggravating that the Kings won’t make an appearance on TNT or ESPN in the second half of the season. Not sure why some of the lower teams with lots of injuries keep making it to primetime instead of a rising threat that’s fun to watch. We do however get the chance to see them on NBA TV a few times.
March 6 vs the New Orleans Pelicans
This will be an intriguing matchup with a team that’s right on the Kings tail. A few weeks ago, Sacramento was blown out by New Orleans in one of the worst losses of the season. De’Aaron Fox didn’t play, but neither did Brandon Ingram or Zion Williamson. Hopefully, both teams will be at full strength by the time of this matchup, as this is one of the two Kings games that will be broadcasted on NBA TV.
March 11 and March 24 against the Phoenix Suns
We don’t know if Kevin Durant will be back by the first matchup, but he surely will be there in time for the second. The Suns are another team who turned into NBA Finals favorites overnight after the huge trade for KD, and they happen to also be right behind the Kings in the standings. Not only will it be great TV, but these will be huge playoff-implication matchups.
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March 15-20 road trip: @Chicago, Brooklyn, Washington, and Utah
This has to be the biggest stretch of games for Sacramento. The Kings will have four games in about five days in a road trip that could ultimately determine seeding. Now those four games aren’t against ELITE talent, but they will be against teams who all may be jockeying for a spot in the play-in tournament or a playoff spot. These back-to-backs aren’t ideal, but they’ll be crucial if the Kings want to maintain the success they saw in the first half of the season.
March 21 vs the Boston Celtics
Arguably the best team in the league this far, the Boston Celtics are dominant on both sides of the ball. Earlier in the year the Kings lost in Boston by a healthy margin, but this matchup will be in Sac Town as the Kings look for revenge. It’ll be interesting to see if new acquisition Kessler Edwards gets any run against a team with two of the best wings in the league. They’ll need to improve defensively way before this game if they want a chance to win it or even compete.