The Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors are heading for a Game 7 showdown after a thrilling first-round series. The Kings managed to avoid elimination with a dominant 118-99 victory over the Warriors at the Chase Center in San Francisco. The deciding match is scheduled to take place in Sacramento on Sunday.
The Kings started strong, building a significant lead in the second quarter, which they maintained for the rest of the game, never allowing the Warriors to come within five points. The team’s impressive performance was particularly noteworthy given their lack of playoff experience since 2005, with only Harrison Barnes having extensive post-season knowledge, much of which he gained from previously playing against the Warriors.
Malik Monk was the Kings’ top performer, scoring 28 points, making eight of his 14 field goal attempts, grabbing six rebounds, and contributing four assists. He was instrumental in key moments of the game, particularly in the third quarter, when the Warriors threatened to stage a comeback. Meanwhile, De’Aaron Fox scored 26 points and 11 rebounds, while Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray combined for 14 offensive boards.
The Warriors struggled offensively, shooting only 37.6% as a team and committing 19 turnovers. They also failed to capitalize on Sabonis’ foul trouble throughout the game. The loss means that they will have to win on the road in Sacramento, a challenging task for any team, especially in the face of a vocal and enthusiastic home crowd. The Warriors have not lost a series to a Western Conference team since Steve Kerr became head coach.
Sunday’s Game 7 presents the Kings with a chance to break that streak and advance to the next round of the playoffs.
It is widely known that the Warriors have struggled on the road this season. They had a poor record of 11-30 away from home, which was the fourth-worst in the NBA during the 2022-23 season, placing them ahead of only three teams that did not make the playoffs: Detroit, San Antonio, and Houston.
During the 2005-06 NBA season, the Sacramento Kings, led by guard Mike Bibby and coached by Rick Adelman, made their most recent playoff appearance since their recent Round 1 Series vs. the Golden State Warriors.
The team that emerges victorious from this series will advance to the Western Conference semifinals, where they will face the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Sacramento Kings’ last appearance in the second round of the NBA playoffs was in the 2003-2004 season. They lost in the Western Conference Finals to the eventual NBA champions, the Los Angeles Lakers.
The longest a NBA franchise has gone without appearing in the playoffs at all is 16 seasons which currently that streak is owned by you guessed it the Sacramento Kings from 2006 to 2023.
The Golden State Warriors have won four NBA championships since 2010. They won their first title of the decade in 2015, followed by wins in 2017, 2018, and most recently 2022 over the Boston Celtics.
This is without a doubt the most exciting round one playoff series, do not miss Sunday’s action and be sure to get your bets in early. For those of you to keep the action going, check out live-betting.
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