Former Warriors' duo indirectly help old team with shock upset victory

Former Golden State Warriors' pair Jordan Poole and Patrick Baldwin Jr. have helped the Washington Wizards to a shock victory on Thursday, indirectly helping their old team in the process.

Entering as double-digit underdogs and having lost 21 of their past 23 games, the Wizards recorded an upset 109-102 win over the visiting Sacramento Kings at Capital One Arena.

The Washington Wizards' victory over the Sacramento Kings helps the Golden State Warriors' push for a top eight seed in the West

Back in a starting role, Poole had 14 points (5-of-11 shooting), two rebounds, two assists and two steals, with the Wizards a +7 in his 36 minutes of play. After trailing by 16 late in the third-quarter, the Kings battled back to take the lead in the final period before Poole regained the advantage with an and-one floater off glass.

Baldwin had a more limited role but chipped in with six points and two rebounds in just over nine minutes. The former Golden State first-round pick made two of his three-field goal attempts, including going 1-of-2 from beyond the arc.

With the Warriors stuck at 10th in the Western Conference, these are the type of upset results that need to go their way in order to fulfil their slim chances of earning a top eight seed.

The loss puts the Kings to a 40-29 record and back to the eighth-seed behind the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns, both of whom recorded expected victories on Thursday. Sacramento are three games ahead of the ninth-seed Los Angeles Lakers and 3.5 games ahead of the Warriors.

The Kings have the fourth-hardest remaining schedule in the league, while the Suns have the second-toughest. The Warriors, on the other hand, have the 19th-hardest schedule but play nine of their last 14 games on the road (which could be a positive based on their home vs. road record this season).

Even despite the Wizards unexpected win over the Kings, the Warriors will appear hard pressed to garner a top eight seed, meaning they'll likely have to win two Play-In Tournament games in order to reach the postseason.