With another postseason upon us, we are hopefully in store for some riveting Game 7s. Unfortunately, none of those games will include the Sacramento Kings, as they were eliminated from the dance before it even began, losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the NBA Play-In Tournament.
So, to make up for the lack of meaningful Kings' hoops this postseason, let's take a look at some of their most memorable Game 7s in franchise history.
Before that, though, let's get some general Game 7 stats out of the way. First off, the Kings hold a 2-5 record all-time in Game 7s. They haven't won a Game 7 since 1981 – back when they were still the Kansas City Kings. This means they haven't won a Game 7 since they arrived in Sacramento in 1985. They are 0-4 in Game 7s during that time.
Now, here are some of the most memorable Game 7s.
1951 Game 7
It's been nearly 75 years since the Kings' first-ever Game 7. Heck, they weren't even the Kings yet. At that time, they were the Rochester Royals.
In 1951, the Royals beat the New York Knicks 79-75 to win their first-ever Game 7 and first (and only) NBA Championship, making it a Game 7 that fans should never forget.
2002 Game 7
The 2002 Western Conference Finals Game 7 clash between the Kings and Los Angeles Lakers is more of a nightmare to Kings fans than a proud memory. Sacramento was the closest to the NBA Finals they have been since coming to Northern California. Unfortunately, after holding a commanding 3-2 series lead, the Kings let two straight games slip away from them and were forced to watch from home as the Lakers won their third straight NBA title.
2023 Game 7
The most recent Game 7 in franchise history. After ending our dreaded 16-year playoff drought, the Kings pushed the then-defending champion Golden State Warriors to their absolute limit. Even after losing the game, the vibes around the team were high. The Kings had ended their cursed streak and were looking like they were building something sustainable. Of course, that turned out to be far from the truth as the Kings have yet to return to the playoffs since then, and unless they have a rockstar offseason, it seems like they won't be back there anytime soon.