The Kings’ playoff chances keep getting slimmer and slimmer

Beating the league-leading Boston Celtics on the second night of a back-to-back was unlikely, but De’Aaron Fox gave his team a fighting chance. Down the stretch, the Kings couldn’t secure the win, however, and fell 101-100. 

Fox played great, and the team battled, but that didn't impact the standings. Only wins and losses do, and with two consecutive losses, the Kings are still sitting in eighth place in the West. 

That is not good, but also not terrible. At least the eighth seed only has to win one game to get out of the Play-In Tournament. The Kings do not have that spot secured, however. 

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Have won three in a row. They now have the exact same record as the Kings and could very well still overtake them before the end of the regular season. 

Falling into the bottom half of the Play-In Tournament would be disastrous 

Finishing the season in ninth place in the West would be terrible for the Kings. The Play-In Tournament is stacked, and winning two games without Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter will be incredibly difficult. 

Falling below eighth in the standings might very well mean that the Kings’ season will be over earlier than imagined. They would have to battle their way through two teams out of the Warriors, the Lakers, and the Pelicans. The Pelicans have been a matchup nightmare all season long, Stephen Curry has knocked the Kings out of the postseason before, and you just do not want to stand between LeBron James and a playoff spot. 

The Kings might not make the playoffs

Kings fans, players, and coaches all entered this season with high hopes. The team put together a solid record, but it has not translated to success in the standings. At this point—with only a handful of games left and little to no chance of getting Monk back from injury—we all have to get used to the idea that the Kings might not make the playoffs.

That would be bad for several reasons. It is a year of lost playoff experience, Monk might look for another playoff team to sign with, and the pick they owe the Hawks won’t convey. 

The season is not over yet, and there is still a chance the Kings can pull off a miracle comeback, but we should all brace ourselves for the worst.