LaVine is “looking forward to” playing his first postseason game in G1C

Zach LaVine participated in the play-in previously, but only played in one playoff series throughout his decade in the NBA.

Traded to the Sacramento Kings mid-season in a three-team deal that sent De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs, LaVine expressed his excitement to play postseason basketball in front of an electric, sold-out Golden 1 Center.

“I haven’t experienced (the postseason) yet in Sacramento, so I’m looking forward to that a lot,” he said after Monday’s practice.

“Even these last five games, they’ve been meaningful games. We’re trying to put ourselves in the hunt. Fans have been great. It’s been extremely loud, even in some of the games that we dropped. They gave us a boost, so I’m getting used to the fans in Sacramento definitley being there to support.”

Speaking from his previous play-in experience, LaVine said, “It’s definitley a playoff feeling, but it’s heightened a little bit because it’s one game.”

Hungry for another postseason appearance, Sacramento fans always create a phenomenal atmosphere in Golden 1 Center for these types of matchups.

Third-year forward Keegan Murray reflected fondly on his postseason moments in California’s capital, having broken the playoff drought in his rookie season and participating in the play-in last season.

“Whenever there’s any sort of postseason play in Sacramento, it’s always going to be a really good atmosphere, which I feel like is pretty different to a lot of teams [in the] play-in games,” he said Monday.

“It’ll definitley have a little bit of a playoff feel to it, especially just thinking about last year against Golden State. We’re excited. We’re happy that we got home court, that we get to be able to play here again.”

Pace and rebounding seem to be some of the on-court keys to their Wednesday night win-or-go-home matchup against the Mavericks, but they’re hoping that the home-court crowd will provide an advantage as well.

More Kings coverage on Sactown Sports

The Sacramento Kings find themselves in the NBA play-in tournament once again, as they’re set to host the Dallas Mavericks in the 9/10 matchup Wednesday night in Golden 1 Center.

Having swept the Mavericks 3-0 in their regular season battles in encouraging, but both rosters have seen significant turnover throughout the year.

None of their previous matchups featured Anthony Davis or Luka Doncic. Their first matchup was days after Mike Brown’s firing, when De’Aaron Fox was still a member of the Kings.

Read More:

Defensive rebounds, pace expected be crucial in Kings, Mavs matchup

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

It’s win-or-go-home time for Sacramento.

The postseason has arrived as the Kings will play in a do-or-die Play-In game against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center.

If Sacramento wins, they will advance to play the loser of the seventh vs. eighth seed game on Friday night on the road.

The Kings had Dallas’ number this season, sweeping the three-game regular season series while winning each contest by an average of 11.6 points. While the Mavericks have struggled on the road this season (17-24), they have found success at Golden 1 Center over the years (4-3 in Sacramento since the start of the 2020-21 season).

Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Dallas Mavericks drama right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage starting at 5:30 PM PT on Game Night before action tips off at 7:00 PM PT from downtown Sacramento.

Upcoming schedule for the 2024-25 Sacramento Kings

• Wednesday, April 16th – vs. Dallas Mavericks – Time TBD (Western Conference Play-In Tournament – 9th vs. 10th seed game)
• Friday, April 18th – TBD – Western Conference Play-In Tournament (8th seed game)
• Sunday, April 20th – Start of the NBA Playoffs

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