Western Conference Standings Update: Kings slip to 7th
Mar 5, 2024, 8:30 AM
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Leading by 22 points with just three minutes remaining in the third quarter of Monday’s action at Golden 1 Center, the Sacramento Kings seemed well on their way to a win that would put them a half-game back of the fifth spot in the Western Conference standings.
Instead, disaster struck–again.
The Kings (34-26) suffered their latest meltdown, this time in the form of a 113-109 loss to the Chicago Bulls that ended with Sacramento being outscored 46-20 during the final 15 minutes of regulation.
Any loss at this point in the season is costly, but Monday’s defeat had a little more sting when you factor in the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Los Angeles has pulled itself within 1.5 games of the Kings in the standings, with a crucial matchup between the old rivals set to take place on Wednesday in Southern California.
With 22 games remaining in the regular season, Sacramento has no time to dwell on a single loss as they aim to keep pace in the packed Western Conference.
Domantas Sabonis says the Kings need to “lock in” and prepare for a big game on Wednesday against the Lakers, who are now just 1.5 games behind them in the standings.
“22 games left. You can’t really think about it anymore. There’s no time.”
— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) March 5, 2024
Western Conference Standings
Following Monday’s meltdown, the Kings stumbled to seventh place in the standings instead of pulling within a half-game of the fifth-seed New Orleans Pelicans.
It will be a game of musical chairs between the fifth-through-tenth seeds over the next five weeks, with six teams separated by 3.5 games. Sacramento is currently just 1.5 games behind the fifth seed while also being two games in front of the tenth-seed Golden State Warriors.
From a strength of schedule standpoint, the Phoenix Suns have an uphill battle in the coming weeks as they will navigate the most challenging remaining slate of games, starting with a matchup against the reigning champion Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.
Phoenix will also have to navigate a hectic schedule without All-Star guard Devin Booker, who is expected to miss one to two weeks of action due to a right ankle sprain suffered during the Suns’ loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
For Sacramento, the road ahead is anything but straightforward.
One game removed from defeating the then-top-seed Minnesota Timberwolves on the road, the Kings turned around and smoked a late 20-point lead against a sub-.500 team on their home floor. Taking care of business against teams beneath them in the standings is imperative at this point in the season, yet Sacramento continues to showcase any sense of stability.
The Kings will play 14 of their final 22 games at Golden 1 Center, including six straight contests following Wednesday’s game in Los Angeles.
Can Sacramento stabilize itself in the standings before teams around them get hot and lock the final two top-six spots, or are they destined for a Play-In appearance come mid-April?
It’s time to find out who the 2023-24 Sacramento Kings are. If Monday’s showing represents this team’s identity, it’s a very bad sign for the coming weeks.
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
Sacramento will travel to Los Angeles on Wednesday night as they will look to create more space between themselves and the 10th-seed Lakers in the Western Conference standings.
With a win on Wednesday, the Kings can secure the regular season series and all tie-breaker scenarios between themselves and the Lakers. Sacramento has beaten Los Angeles in both matchups this season, with the most recent matchup taking place at crypto.com Arena on November 15th.
Be sure to tune in right here on Sactown Sports 1140 for all of your Kings vs. Lakers coverage, beginning at 6:00 PM PST on Game Night before a 7:30 PM PST tip-off from downtown Los Angeles.
Upcoming Schedule
- Wednesday, March 6th – Sacramento Kings @ Los Angeles Lakers – 7:30 PM PST
- Thursday, March 7th – Sacramento Kings vs. San Antonio Spurs – 7:00 PM PST
- Sunday, March 10th – Sacramento Kings vs. Houston Rockets – 3:00 PM PST
- Tuesday, March 12th – Sacramento Kings vs. Milwaukee Bucks – 7:00 PM PST
- Wednesday, March 13th – Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers – 7:00 PM PST
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