Kings don’t have time to lick wounds from loss with Suns on horizon

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Kings don’t have time to lick wounds from loss with Suns on horizon originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – The Kings are stumbling at the absolute worst time of the season, but they don’t have time to feel sorry for themselves or lick their wounds.

With the Phoenix Suns coming to Golden 1 Center for another pivotal game on Friday, time no longer is on Sacramento’s side.

The Kings got handled fairly easily by the New Orleans Pelicans in a 135-123 defeat on Thursday at G1C, losing for the fourth time in five games and dropping into a three-way tie with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers for the eighth spot in the very crowded Western Conference.

It sets up for what should be a wild and wacky next few days.

The Kings still could sneak into the No. 7 spot, especially if they can beat the Suns and gain the tiebreaker between the two teams. They also hold a tiebreaker advantage over both the Warriors and Lakers.

It’s also conceivable that if Sacramento doesn’t get things turned around quickly, it could drop all the way to the final play-in spot.

Whatever margin for error that is left for the Kings is razor thin at best.

“We know the significance,” Keegan Murray said. “We know it’s a tight race, and when you play meaningful regular season games, you have to step up to the plate. I just feel like we have to throw this one out the window because tomorrow’s a big game against Phoenix.”

Friday evening’s game against the Suns very well might be the Kings’ biggest of the 2023-24 NBA season.

Finishing as either the No. 7 or No. 8 seed allows coach Mike Brown’s team the opportunity to lose a play-in game and still have another shot at getting into the playoffs. With the Nos. 9 and 10 teams, one loss and the season is over.

The Kings clearly know what’s at stake.

“You’re 9-10, you wake up that day and you just have a bad day, you’re done,” De’Aaron Fox said. “At least when you’re 7-8, you technically have the opportunity to have a bad first game. Obviously you don’t want to do that. But having two opportunities is much better than basically having one and then…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/kings-dont-time-lick-wounds-070326704.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-04-12 07:03:26

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