Kings gain ground in playoff race Sunday without playing
Feb 24, 2019, 7:34 PM | Updated: 7:40 pm
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
The Sacramento Kings got a victory Sunday without stepping foot on the court. In the thick of a playoff race, games involving the teams around the Kings are almost as important as the Kings’ games. Sacramento got a big win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, then Sunday offered more good news in what turned into an excellent weekend for them.
There were only three games on the NBA slate Sunday, but two of them involved teams directly ahead of the Kings in the standings – the No. 8 seed Clippers and No. 7 seed Spurs. Both teams lost, allowing Sacramento to pick up a half game in the standings and pull to within 1.0 games of a playoff spot.
All three teams are tied in the loss column with 28. The Spurs and Clippers both have 33 wins to 31 for the Kings.
Los Angeles got blown out by the Nuggets 123-96 in Denver.
There was some speculation the Clippers might tail off at the end of the season with their draft pick going to Boston unless they miss the postseason. Team owner Steve Ballmer dispelled any notion that they’d tank down the stretch, saying he prefers making the playoffs to keeping the draft pick according to Yahoo! Sports. The Clippers’ loss Sunday in Denver was a tough foot to start on after Ballmer’s claim, but it helps the Kings immensely in their push for the No. 8 seed.
Sacramento doesn’t have to limit their climb to the final playoff seed though. They have the Spurs in their sights as well. The Knicks upset the Spurs 130-118 at Madison Square Garden.
It’s almost inconceivable that San Antonio would miss the playoffs under Gregg Popovich. They’ve made every postseason since Popovich took over as the head coach in the 1997-98 season. However, they’ve dropped six of their last seven, including a loss to the Kings in Sacramento on February 4. They’re now 11-21 on the road with just nine of their final 21 games away from San Antonio.
There’s still a long road to the postseason for the Kings, but following Saturday’s win in Oklahoma City with Sunday losses for the Clippers and Spurs was a key step forward. One game back of a playoff spot with 23 games to play is a great position to be in.
Now Sacramento has to help themselves Monday when they face the Timberwolves in Minnesota. The Spurs and Clippers both play Monday as well. San Antonio is visiting the Nets, and Los Angeles is hosting the Mavericks.
