The Kings get a chance at redemption, this time in a one-game format.
Golden State and Sacramento clashed in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs, with the Warriors upsetting the Kings in seven games. Now, the two California teams get a rematch in the 2024 Play-In Tournament.
The No. 9 Kings (46-36) will host the No. 10 Warriors (46-36) since Sacramento owns the tiebreaker via division win-loss record. The loser is eliminated from playoff contention, while the winner will face the loser of the No. 7 New Orleans Pelicans/No. 8 Los Angeles Lakers game.
Golden State still has its core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, but the rest of the team has shaken up since last season.
The Warriors swapped Jordan Poole for Chris Paul and added Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis in the draft. Furthermore, Jonathan Kuminga has blossomed into a a quality third scoring option for Steve Kerr.
MORE: Warriors vs. Kings Play-In Tournament prediction
Lots could be said about Curry’s terrific play. At age 36, he’s leading the team with 26.4 points per game on .450/.408/.923 shooting splits. If not for LeBron James’ dominance at 39, Curry would be mentioned more often.
The Kings bring back essentially the same roster that earned them the No. 3 seed last year. They didn’t necessarily play worse this year, but the Western Conference was stacked. Their 46-win season would earned them the No. 4 seed last season.
De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis is a formidable guard-big duo. Fox continues to be an excellent late-game closer while averaging 26.6 points and a league-leadging 2.0 steals per game.
Sabonis averages 19.4 points, 8.2 assists and a league-leading 13.4 rebounds per game, racking up a league-high 26 triple doubles this season.
Fans won’t get the luxury of seeing a full seven game series rematch, but it should be a high-octane Play-In Tournament game with playoff implications on the line.
The Sporting News will be live updating the game with scores, results and highlights.
STREAM: Watch Warriors vs. Kings live with Sling TV
(All times Eastern)
The Sporting News will update this file ahead of tip-off at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16.
The Kings will host the Warriors at 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 16.
The Warriors vs. Kings game will air on TNT. The game can also be streamed on Sling.
Viewers can live stream every 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament game with Sling.