The Sacramento Kings are back in San Francisco today, to gracefully bow out of their first NBA Playoff series in 17 years, after a very wholesome season and a spirited but obviously doomed-from-the-start battle against the greatest dynasty in sports since Michael Jordan’s Bulls. With mid, over-rated stars that have lied, constantly antagonized some of the greatest names in the sport, and faked injuries throughout the series in an attempt to hunt for calls and sympathy from the referees and national media alike, the Kings have exhausted all means against a Warriors squad that is always a few years ahead of their competition. Tonight’s game will not only feature the continued dominance of the players but also of coach Steve Kerr, showing once and for all why he let his lowly assistant coach go without much fight. In a preview of the series to come against much more worthy, much more appropriate opponents for the Warriors to play, Kings fans will finally be granted the mercy of seeing their fun, little squad put down for the season and why they should have just clapped politely from their seats, knowing their place in the grand scheme of all basketball things.
Is that what you want to hear? Is that what you wanted to read today before a Game 6 in which the Kings can objectively win? A Kings squad who hasn’t lost four straight games since the start of the regular season, who has risen to the occasion time and time again this season, who have one of the best road records in the league and who, last time in this building, had a chance to win at the buzzer? Against an aging Warriors squad on one day’s rest, who just played their star player insane minutes to pull out a win in Sacramento, in a stadium that, at 5 pm today, will be emptier than the heads of anyone who thought the NBA would tip the scales in the Kings favor?
If you’re looking for surrender, if you’re looking for a “welp, we did our best” – look elsewhere. We’re daring to believe a three-seed can beat a six-seed on the road in here. We ready?
Let’s talk playoff basketball!
When: Friday, April 28th, 5:00 PM PT
Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
TV: TNT, NBCSCA
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
For Your Consideration
Sac, Against The Wall: I’ve never had to do this before. Every season before this I got to plot out a goodbye, I got to see the last game of the season ahead of time, prepare for it and figure out just how the hell I was going to tell you all that I’d miss you until next season’s modicum of maybe-this-year dragged me back for another season of basketball (and inevitably, film and book) previews. There was a finite end to the season where I got to say good-bye and now, now, I don’t think I’ll have that luxury again for a long, long time. The playoffs have been everything I’d hoped they would be, with early wins, adversity, adjustments, failures and triumphs in near equal piles laid out before us – a tapestry woven with threads of hope, a Sacramento-made material that only gets stronger the more it gets pulled around.
I’m not saying goodbye today. I’ve seen too much, I’ve doubted too many times only to be proven wrong, I’ve written this squad off only to see them storm back and win in crazy fashion against all sorts of odds. Don’t get me wrong – this very well could be the final game of the season for me, for us, for the 50 win love affair we’ve felt this season. But I’ve seen Fox hit a 30-something footer to win a game they absolutely should have lost in Orlando. I’ve seen the Kings go on a 19-0 run to beat one of the best defenses in the league on the road. I’ve seen buzzer beaters and sudden bursts of elite defense and players getting red hot after having struggled like a cat in quicksand for two weeks previous. Good lord, I saw the cog of the Sacramento Kings offense tear muscle and bone from his thumb, shake it off and suddenly be a better player, be an All-Star with it. Beating a cocky, tired dynasty on their home court one time? Wouldn’t rank in the Top-10 most insane things the Kings have done this season.
And that’s all we need. We, as fans, as managers and coaches and players too, don’t have to worry about Game 7 yet. We only have Game 6, we only have this elimination game to worry about. Slow down Curry, today. Beat Kevon Looney and Draymond Green to the boards today. Keep pace with Klay Thompson today. There is no Game 7 until the Sacramento Kings earn it, so throw it all on red and spin the wheel… today.
As for fans that feel down today, I really don’t want to tell you how to feel. Lord knows for years you’ve had to put up with me discussing tanking and draft picks and swinging for the fences in various hiring processes. You want to be dour today, do it. But we’ve seen too much from the Kings to even think about giving up this close to history. You’re allowed to, I’ll still invite you to the Lady Bird watch-party, but… there’s one or two or six or whatever games left in the season before it ends, before it truly ends… I wouldn’t want to spend it defeated. Mostly, because, after everything we’ve seen this season, we’ve already won. In the craziest, most unexpected, ways the city of Sacramento has already won.
If this is the last game of the season – goodbye, I love you, I’ll see you next season.
If this is the Sacramento Kings squad that I’ve seen all season long – I’ll see you all Sunday morning for Game 7.
Prediction
Happy Sunday, jerks. Here’s your coffee, here’s your donuts, someone pass me some lozenges and my earplugs. Let’s go scream this team into the second round.
Kings: 128, Warriors: 122
-Move the ball
-Value the ball
-Make your defensive rotations
-crash the boards
“Was it over when Dirk Nowitzki bombed Pearl Washington?”
Whenever I hear this, I can’t help but think of Jason Williams. Heh. As much as I enjoyed JWill on the court, I literally cheered when I heard they traded him for Mike Bibby.
The previews are poetry.
Yeah. We need many more of those.
This game is smack in the middle of the night for me (02:00 am). F’n Lakers!
Hoping for a completely Dominating Domas.
Go Kings!
We are here for moral support
You’ll be needing some coffee. Or “Coffee.” I don’t know which one goes in quotes over there, so I just order one and roll with it. Pun intended?
Stop the suffering Rik. Move back to Sacramento and enjoy all the games at normal hours.
Can’t sleep, dammit.
And I have no discernible connection to the city of Sacramento.
I am just an idiot who became a fan in the really lean years. But not idiot enough to move from Europe’s affordable healthcare system to the US with a special needs child.
To paraphrase Rudy: welcome to healthcare Hell.
well at least you found the best fanbase in the NBA!
Love it. Go Kings!
Personally, I spent years (well, more than a decade actually) waking up in the middle of the night to watch much less meaningful and much shittier games, so of course I’ll do it also today (at 2 A.M.). So, I’m going to correct the above statement:
Mostly, because, after everything we’ve seen these 16 seasons, we’ve already won. In the craziest, most unexpected, ways the city of Sacramento has already won.
Go Kings!
and I haven’t smelled (smelt?) quit all season. Nu- unh. Nope.
I would like to see the whole team rise. I want to see Kessler Edwards shut down Klay or Wiggins and hit a corner 3. I want to see TD come in and rainbow from beyond 23′. I want to see Trey Lyles hit threes and gobble up some boards. I want Kevin Huerter have a 3 parade – like 4 or 5 he puts down. Harrison Barnes get going as well.
Fox and Monk keep being the Wildcat Strike. Domas – you’re fine but man, limit the turnovers, make your free throws. I want to see Game 4 first quarter Keegan for multiple quarters.
Is that asking too much?
It’s not asking too much. You’re simply asking for their average which they have not done yet in the playoffs.
sure, shoulda woulda coulda or, if this and if that, it’s sports. HOWEVER! Think about it. IF!!! the kings shot from deep at a rate that the worst three point shooting team in the NBA averaged over the season this series would be over. They’ve been abysmal from deep. A smashed shell of themselves. Wide open looks by above average shooters just not falling. It’s infuriating for us fans. Had they finished the last 3 quarters 5 of 22 as opposed to 2 of 22!!!! That’s game. Kings are up 3 games to 2. If they can just be slightly less shitty from deep we’ll see the Kings in the next round. They’re due at this point. I like those odds.
LETS GO!!!!!!!!
KINGS!!!!!!!!!
Now our backs are against the wall—
Not yet ready to say “That’s all!”
It’s been a great season
And that is the reason
We still need more Kings basketball!
That’s a beauty.
See you guys on Sunday. Go Kings!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees the Kings wearing down this team of very talented players many of whom are on the downside. Go Kings!!!
Will,
You can write about how a colony of ants move on a straight line in a very funny, poetic way!
Your stuff is always a great read!
Thanks a lot!
Let’s go, Kings!
Exactly what I wanted to hear. Let’s keep this going!
This is my last night in England before flying back to California tomorrow. About to go to bed in an hour, so hoping I wake up to the news that we won so I can watch a game Sunday!!
We need some Klam… stay up and sleep on the plane!,
LFG and LTB..
Great preview Will. I’m ready to fucking headbutt someone I’m so hyped up. This team hasn’t quit all year, and neither should we.
Fuck it, we deserve this.
Will is right on about this team and this game . Whether we see a game 7 win against the Dub dynasty, fairly certain better days are ahead for a truly special team that needs only experience and a few tweaks to long term contender status .
Gotta love fking Comcast as their cable is out and won’t be back on till 6:30pm. ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Ye vengeful basketball gods, hear us:
Nearly time to leave it all on the court in a purple pool of blood and fire …. As someone who has watched probably 98% of all Kings games since 1996, and there were many, many soul-searching moments in there — I understand why fans would think we already won by making the playoffs. But I doubt ANY of the Kings players or coaches feel that way.
I’d bet all they see is a #3 seed that was up 2-0 on a #6 seed Warriors, got a game three without the Warriors’ best defender and facilitator, and proceeded to lose three straight.
I hope that threat of a long offseason thinking about precisely that motivates them to stomp the Warriors tonight, big-time. Big time slappa dat bass … Basketball gods, make them know that they cannot lose nearly every rebound NOR let the game be close in the final minutes –not with those two shooters from Mount Olympus, and a literal rebounding machine who is putting up Wilt the Stilt numbers. Sabonis, avenge thee.
In final preparation, I return to the words of Hunter Thompson from ESPN’s Page 2:
“We are waiting for the Sacramento game to start now, and my phone is ringing incessantly, so I turn down its volume to zero. Screw that telephone. I always turn it off when the game starts. That is my business … Jesus babbling Christ! The Kings have gone up 60-42 — and now here comes Nick Van Exel. The crowd boos nervously, rumbling with a queer hostility. I am betting Sacramento even, so things are looking ‘good,’ as they used to say in Baghdad. My people are kicking ass and Anita is feeding me grapes. Ye gods, this game is a rout! The Mavericks are bleeding from every orifice. Mahalo.
Why am I still feeling queasy, with a 20-point lead at the end of three quarters? Why am I plagued by memories of false hubris and total collapse? Am I a fool?” — Hunter Thompson
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