With the Golden State Warriors hovering at 6th in the West, they are just a single game ahead in the standings of the surging Los Angeles Lakers, who are quickly gaining momentum as the season comes to a close. Tonight, the Kings will have a chance to choose their fate in a way. If the Kings lose and give Golden State the win, it means they will likely avoid matching up against the Lakers in the first round.
Now, with word that the Kings may rest their starters completely against the Warriors, there is a belief among Lakers Nation that the Kings are doing whatever they can to keep the Lakers as the 7th seed and avoid potentially facing them in the playoffs.
Kings injury report vs Warriors:
De’Aaron Fox (questionable)
Domantas Sabonis (questionable)
Kevin Huerter (questionable)
Malik Monk (questionable)
Keegan Murray (questionable)
Trey Lyles (questionable)
Davion Mitchell (questionable)
They don’t want the Lakers in 1st round 👀
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) April 7, 2023
The LeBron factor is everything, and fans made sure to remind everyone that the Kings should be fearing King James.
https://twitter.com/HoodiGuWop/status/1644422545830031361
One fan joked that players loved to play the Lakers until the playoffs begin…
Everybody want smoke wit the lakers until playoff time start lmaooo https://t.co/01BmCMEObh
— Reck🥷🏾🔪 (@ReckyGz) April 7, 2023
A polite Lakers fan wrote that he doesn’t blame the Kings for trying to control their own destiny.
https://twitter.com/AdalinIii/status/1644425979891441665
This Twitter user even went so far as to tag Kings players as he accused them of duking the smoke.
https://twitter.com/RipDraCo__/status/1644424634786279424
Lakers fans love to assume everyone is out. to get them or avoid them, but the truth is probably much simpler. If the Kings don’t have the opportunity to move up in the standings and possibly secure home-court for another round, they may just elect to rest their guys to give them more rest and recovery ahead of the playoffs.
After all, even if the Kings manage to avoid the Purple and Gold early on, they wouldn’t have much better odds against the Clippers or Warriors.
Can The Kings Beat The Lakers In The Playoffs?
On the topic of a potential series between the Kings and Lakers, it’s easy to see why Sac might try to avoid a showdown. The Lakers have been excellent since the trade deadline, and LeBron James looks to be coming into form in time for the playoffs.
Still, a series against the Kings is far from an assured victory for L.A.
“The Sacramento Kings are going to win a playoff series. GUARANTEED. They’re gonna be playing the Warriors or the Lakers and that’s a tough first-round series,” said Charles Barkley. “They’re gonna win a series.”
We will see soon enough how the West standing ultimately end up, but the Lakers are a real wild card that could disrupt the balance of everyone’s expectations this summer.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
