The Golden State Warriors host the Sacramento Kings at the Chase Center on Tuesday, April 7, at 10:00 PM ET.
The Warriors are 36-42 and 10th in the West with a 21-18 home record, while the Kings are 21-58 and 14th in the West with a 7-32 road record.
The Warriors are coming off a close 117-116 loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday, their fourth loss in a row, while the Kings fell to an uncompetitive 138-109 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday as well. The last meeting between these teams came on January 9, 2026, with the Warriors winning 137-103 at home. This is the third out of four matchups between the divisional rivals this season, with the season series being tied 1-1 at the moment. Their next and final matchup for the season will be on Friday.
Stephen Curry just returned to the Warriors lineup after missing 27 games with a knee injury. He’s averaging 27.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists this season, and will presumably return to the starting lineup this game. Brandin Podziemski will aim to continue his streak of good individual performances alongside Curry, averaging 13.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists this season.
The Kings have had the majority of their stars ruled out for the last few months, with DeMar DeRozan listed as questionable for this clash. DeRozan’s 18.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists this season will be sorely missed if he is held out. With veteran Russell Westbrook also ruled out, Maxime Raynaud will be a featured player, with the rookie averaging 12.1 points and 7.5 rebounds this season.
Injury Report
Warriors
L.J. Cryer: Probable (illness)
Stephen Curry: Probable (knee)
Kristaps Porzingis: Questionable (knee)
Gui Santos: Out (pelvic)
Quinten Post: Out (foot)
Jimmy Butler III: Out (knee)
Al Horford: Out (calf)
Moses Moody: Out (knee)
Kings
DeMar DeRozan: Questionable (hamstring)
Isaiah Stevens: Out (ankle)
Russell Westbrook: Out (toe)
Domantas Sabonis: Out (knee)
Zach LaVine: Out (finger)
De’Andre Hunter: Out (eye)
Keegan Murray: Out (ankle)
Drew Eubanks: Out (left thumb soreness)
Why The Warriors Have The Advantage
This is the kind of matchup the Warriors need to change their fortunes and arrest their four-game losing streak. They’re already doomed to finish the season below .500, but they still could fight for the No. 9 seed and secure homecourt for one of their potential two Play-In Tournament games.
The Warriors have the advantage because Steph Curry is back, and he looked great in his return against the Rockets. He put up 29 points (11-21 FG) off the bench in 26 minutes, with a potential increase in load expected for the next game to get Curry in shape to make a run at the Playoffs.
Team-wide, the Warriors basically have every advantage possible against one of the worst teams in the NBA. They’re already one of the best outside shooting units in the NBA, leading the league in attempts (44.5 3PA) but ranking 20th in percentage (35.6 3P%). The Kings allow their opponents to shoot 37.9% from three (29th in the NBA), so Golden State might have an opening to exploit. The Warriors have a 113.8 offensive and 114.1 defensive rating compared to the Kings’ 110.4 offensive and 120.4 defensive rating, so it’s clear that one team is much better than the other.
Their biggest advantage is unquestionably the fact that the Kings lost the No. 15 seed in the standings to the Utah Jazz and would like to regain that spot to maximize their odds at the No. 1 draft pick. The Warriors have a competitive reason to win this game and continue their playoff preparation, while the Kings might be better off with all losses to end the season, while hoping the Jazz win at least one game since the teams are tied in the standings.
Why The Kings Have The Advantage
On paper, it doesn’t look like the Kings have any advantages they can rely on. They’re the worst road team in the NBA, and their original starting five are all ruled out, even though that five also had a bad record when they played this season. Their advantage could be the randomness of their rotations and lineups, along with the fact that they’re playing many motivated young players who’ll look to spring an upset against a team with an icon like Curry playing.
If the Warriors rule out Kristaps Porzingis for this clash, the Kings could rely on Raynaud to have a highly productive night against a weak Warriors paint defense. They give up 50.9 points in the paint every game, and the Kings score 45.6% of their points in the paint, so they’ll hope that this can help them gain some sort of an advantage.
Unless the players are motivated to win and are supported by their coaching staff, the Kings can’t claim to have any advantages since losing might be the best outcome for them in the grander scheme of things.
X-Factors
De’Anthony Melton has been inconsistent of late, but the guard is averaging 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on the season and can be a swing piece for the Warriors. He’s a consistent defender but can go missing offensively. He’s even had his rotational minutes cut, but with the depleted Warriors still relying on him, he could come good alongside Curry.
Draymond Green has been grinding through the games without Curry with average production, but with Curry back, everyone will be expecting more impactful play. Green is averaging 8.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists this season, and doesn’t look like he can be anything more than an average to below-average contributor. However, he still can be the best defender on the floor on most nights, and that’s what the Warriors will need from him to have success here.
Devin Carter has been one of the few standout young players on the Kings, averaging 8.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists this season. He’s been getting extended minutes recently, averaging 12.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in the last 20 games. He has more to prove on the court to solidify a potential starting role on the squad next season, so a big performance against the Warriors might help him get closer to that goal.
Malik Monk has looked out of sorts for most of the season, but the scoring guard is averaging 12.6 points and 3.1 assists this season. With the hopes that Monk can generate trade value after being on the market and not finding a home this season, he’ll have a green light to be as productive as he can. Games against the Warriors have a lot more eyes on them, so Monk could thrive under the bright lights to stun Golden State.
Prediction
The Warriors should walk out with a comfortable win in this game. The Kings have more reasons to lose than to win, while the Warriors need to get their season back on-track to go into the Play-In with positive momentum. With three games left in the season and two of them coming against Sacramento, the Warriors have to ensure they can maximize these easy results to get Curry back to his best form while also having good vibes in the locker room heading into another Play-In run.
Prediction: Warriors 123, Kings 105
