Pacific rival could do Golden State Warriors major favor in playoff hunt
The Golden State Warriors head to Sacramento for their penultimate game of the regular season, but they could see a very different Kings to the one that’s already secured the third-seed in the Western Conference.
The defending champions need to win against the Kings, and on Sunday in Portland against the Trail Blazers, to secure a playoff spot without the need to go through the dreaded Play-In Tournament.
7 key players are questionable for the Sacramento Kings ahead of their matchup against the Golden State Warriors at Golden 1 Center on Friday.
Long-time Warrior assistant Mike Brown could do his former team a major favor by resting some stars for a game with little meaning for Sacramento. Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, Keegan Murray, Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk, Davion Mitchell and Trey Lyles are all listed as questionable, proving enough for the Warriors to be favorites despite their abysmal road record.
The Kings may have secured the third-seed, but they can still have a say in who they face in the first-round. If they do rest their key players against the Warriors, then it’s a clear indication they’re more interested in priming themselves for the postseason.
There is good news for Golden State with Klay Thompson not listed on the injury report, with the five-time All-Star having been a late out for his team’s win against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. It leaves Andre Iguodala, Ryan Rollins and Andrew Wiggins as outs after Steve Kerr confirmed the latter wouldn’t return during the regular season.
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Having secured the four-seed on Thursday, the Phoenix Suns are resting their four stars (Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Deandre Ayton) for their matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers. It means the Warriors can’t be relying on other results, with a loss to the Kings likely to succumb Golden State to the Play-In Tournament.