After defeating the Phoenix Suns in their regular season finale, the Sacramento Kings have finished the 2024-25 NBA regular season 2024-25, and for the second straight season, they are headed to the Play-In Tournament.
As the ninth seed, the Kings will host the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the play-in (which will be played on Wednesday, April 16). If they win, they will travel on the road to play the loser of the game between the seventh and eighth seed. If they win that game, they will be rewarded with the eighth seed in the Western Conference (and a date with the dominant Oklahoma City Thunder).
This path is one that fans of the team have been anticipating for weeks. Throughout that time, everyone has had an idea of how difficult this path to the team's second playoff berth in three years would be (especially with Malik Monk set to miss the entirety of the play-in). However, recent events have increased the likelihood that the Kings survive this next week.
The Kings have a good chance of winning both play-in games
While the Kings have been one of the healthiest teams in the league this season, their first play-in opponent, the Mavericks, have been one of the most injury-riddled organizations in the association. According to Spotrac, the Kings have had the fewest dollars lost to player injuries. Meanwhile, the Mavericks have the fourth-most.
The Mavericks' list of injuries got another addition in their loss against the Memphis Grizzlies on the final day of the regular season, as Brandon Williams left the game in the first quarter with an abdominal injury.
Williams has been one of the few bright spots in one of the most chaotic single seasons a franchise has ever had. In 32 games, he was averaging 8.2 PPG and 2.4 APG on 64.2% true shooting.
If he misses the Mavericks' play-in game against the Kings, Dallas may not have enough offense to keep up with Sacramento (8th in offensive rating), especially with their best offensive player already out for the season in Kyrie Irving. You never want to see a team be decimated by injuries, but this news inevitably increases the Kings' chances of winning.
As for their next opponent, if victorious, the Kings are set to play the loser of the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies game. And while nothing is ever for certain in this league, it seems likely that the Grizzlies will lose that game and have to play the Kings in the second round.
Ever since they started out the season strong, the Grizzlies have been kind of a mess. They are just 12-17 after starting the season 36-17. Matters have grown so precarious there that head coach Taylor Jenkins was recently fired unexpectedly.
If there was any team the Kings would want to face in the second round of the play-in, it is the Grizzlies. They are spiraling at the worst possible time, and the Kings could take advantage of that.
No matter what, it is never easy for a ninth seed to make it through the play-in to the playoffs. The Kings are no different. But this recent string of events has made it far more likely that they will accomplish this Herculean feat.