The Sacramento Kings, holder of the longest playoff drought in NBA history, can clinch a playoff spot tonight. Again.
Let’s talk Kings basketball!
When: Wednesday, March 29th, 7:00 PM PT
Where: Moda Center, Portland, OR
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
For Your Consideration
The Sacramento Kings, holder of a sixteen year playoff drought, the longest such streak in the history of the National Basketball Association, can once again clinch a playoff spot tonight with a win over the Portland Trail Blazers or a Minnesota Timberwolves loss or a Los Angeles Clippers loss.
I still refuse to jinx this – I ain’t writing any else… again.
Prediction
In little reference pages on websites all over the world, the number 16 is replaced with a 0. It probably causes some tears of joy and will still generally be considered a good move.
Kings: 119, Blazers: 108
It’s time!
“It’s tank time!”
“THIS DROUGHT IS OVER!”
Hahahaha! Who knew Rose was a closet Kings fan!
*a true statement no matter what our record is, if you think about it.
A guy at my club said his two sons each put $100 on the Kings to win the Pacific division at 300-1. Total payout $60,200.
Dang, 300-1 odds?? Where did he get those odds? I put down $15 about 1 month into the season and my odds were +2500. Kings weren’t doing THAT well back then. I’m calling BS.
I made some $5 bets where Kings playing the Bucks or Celtics in the finals nets $5000.
Nvm, just looked it up and preseason odds were +25000. I should have made a bet a month earlier…hahahah
Awesome.
Outstanding edit
Great article on the Kings (and Sabonis in particular) DHO dominance this season over at The Ringer:
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2023/3/29/23661093/sacramento-kings-domantas-sabonis-dribble-handoff-maestro
They’re basically off the scale in terms of frequency running DHO action
Some great video explanations there. My basketball analysis skills suck, but even I can understand how the DHO works now.
It seems to me it functions kinda like a pick & roll, except the initial ball handler is simultaneously the pick setter and handoff-er. It fits today’s NBA better because the primary outcome is a 3, rather than a layup.
Sabonis is the core of this team – he makes everybody else better, especially with his mountainous picks.
DHO stands for Domas Hand Off
Logged in just to rec this!
Come on and clinch a playoff spot today, Kings!!! I tested positive for COVID this morning and am just stuck in bed, so I need something to make me feel better!
We can use all the positivity we can get!
Get well soon, Klam!
Get well soon, buddy. Hope you’re back to feeling Klam-y soon!
Damn. Feel better soon, Klam.
Hopefully we’ll be rid of Drought-16 tonight.
Get well soon Klam!
Chicken soup. Get well quick.
Now that you mention it, your forehead does feel a little…Klammy.
Hope that cheered you up a bit. Get better!
So Klam stuck in bed with no clam for like a week? That sucks! I’m sorry for you bruh.
We need you bro. Hope you can stay awake for the game. As Brother Smits says below“We can use all the positivity we can get” and if there is one thing you bring every night is a great attitude. Get well soon!
If they can’t beat the Blazers JV squad tonight, alarm bells are going to be rung throughout Sac and NBA Twitter.
I would very much prefer the Kings clinch by way of win rather than someone else lose. I really hope they show some defense intensity in the first quarter. We need to get ready for playoffs. These past few days have been stressful…..just clinch already!!!
If Portland loses tonight, we clinch!!!
I’ll take that loss!
The Blazers clearly are tanking—
They failed to secure playoff ranking.
So let’s get this win—
Guarantee we are in—
And it’s Monte and Mike we’ll be thanking!
The angel on one shoulder says we win this one big. The devil on the other shoulder says this is the mother of all “trap” games. I am clearly conflicted.
Can’t miss game.
I can’t wait until you show us your bald head, you silly tanker!!!!!
End the drought
Light the Beam!
SHINY AND PURPLE!
HELL YEAH!!!!!!
Hopefully later tonight at The Kings Herald Dojo….
[Brendan (L) and Greg (R)]
“WE CRUSHED the game against the Blazers!”
“So Sacramento’s in?”
“Hell yeah we’re in. The Kings are BACK BABY!”
“Alright, I’m gonna grab a soda–do you want a Banquet?”
“No, no. This calls for a real toast…”
“Oh.”
“The good stuff, for real men.”
“Drink it, it’ll put hair on your balls.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“Yeah it’s a good thing.”
“To the Kings.”
“Never accept defeat.”
Missed a chance last night when the Pelicans couldn’t hold on to a 17 point halftime lead to the shimmy-shaking Currys. Three chances tonight. Kings should be ready to blast the Blazers right out of the gate. Put Kessler on Little so he doesn’t have another career night. As I said before, I’m much more interested in locking up the 3 seed than simply clinching. I would like them to win the next three, get to 48 wins, then rest the starters the last three games.
So the Trailtankers are down 4 starters tonight with just Thybulle remaining, and he averages just 7 points per game since the trade. This might be the most shorthanded team I’ve seen the Kings play in some time.
My rough guess at their starting 5: Thybulle, Sharpe, Little, Eubanks, Johnson. Those five average a combined 33.8 PPG.
My opinion: I think the Kings clinch a playoff spot (and will clinch a top 3 seed come Friday) tonight. This is the Blazers roster (assuming Trenton Watford and Cam Reddish do not play):
Shaedon Sharpe (1568 total minutes)
Drew Eubanks (1443 total minutes)
Nassir Little (924 total minutes)
Matisse Thybulle (1109 total minutes between Philly & PDX)
Keon Johnson (416 total minutes)
Ryan Arcidiacono (146 total minutes)
Kevin Knox (738 total minutes mostly with Detroit and about 145 with PDX)
Jabari Walker (463 total minutes)
John Butler (56 total minutes; TWC guy)
That’s your active Portland Trail Blazers roster, as best as I can tell. If the Kings can’t clinch, they really shouldn’t be playing in the NBA at all IMO.
I don’t think they’ll rest Fox or Sabonis in this game because they want to clinch for certain before they do. But I think this team will struggle to break out of the gate for a bit and once they get going they’ll be okay. But this is likely to be a very meh game.
Looking forward to Mark Jones saying
ARCIDIACONO
over and over again, and wondering “Who’s this Archie fella?”
This is a full on tank roster.
That said -we’ve seen the likes of Ike Diogu, and the joyous jumper of Skal Labissiere in some eye popping late season games for the Kings. Heck, didn’t our very own Davion Mitchell average > 20 ppg last year as the season dwindled?
As Jerry Reynolds reminds – even the worst teams have a leading scorer, so there are gonna be guys who have break out games, tonight included.
These Kings, with their (soon to be) playoff level roster should:
make mince meat out of them
make short shrift of them
give’em a beat down
and most importantly-
Light the beam! Tonight would be nice.
Should Kings fans be watching the Clippers-Grizz scoreboard or treat this as a win and in scenario?
Win and in!!!!! If we get disappointed….then check the scoreboard to hopefully cheer us up! One of three things need to happen. Kings win!!! Clips or Timberwolves lose. It’ll feel much better with a win by the Kings to earn their way.
If anyone in Portland or on TV happens to see a guy in a purple Sabonis jersey a few rows behind the basket, you can wave and say hi because that’s me.
With Lillard out, ticket prices collapsed, so I’m treating myself. GET IT DONE, KINGS.
Nice!
Time to clinch!! 16 years of a drought, time to end on my birthday!
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday!
Thanks both!! And thank you Kings!!
Time to celebrate
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