Sacramento Kings have ended their 16-year playoff drought, clinching a postseason berth for the first time since 2006
The Sacramento Kings routed the Portland Trail Blazers, 120-80 on the road last night. With that win, they were just the third Western Conference team to secure a playoff berth this season. It was a historic night for the Kings’ franchise and fanbase as they ended a 16-year playoff drought last nice. They are back in the postseason for the first time since 2006 and snapped what was the longest active playoff drought in the four major US sports.
“Light the Beam” chants broke out on the road last night for the Kings and making the playoffs means everything for this franchise. For the longest time, the Kings were always a team that wasn’t taken very seriously by the NBA as they have just over 3,200 losses as a franchise; the most in NBA history. That narrative has changed this season as the Kings are third in the West.
California Sports Betting sites have the Kings at (+4000) to win the Finals this season.
The Kings keep crossing off items on the checklist:
👑Winning season (first since 2006) ✅
👑Playoff appearance (first since 2006) ✅
👑Playoff series win (last: 2004)
👑Conference Finals appearance (last: 2002)
👑 NBA Finals appearance (last 1951)
👑NBA Title (last: 1951) pic.twitter.com/8WfivrD2a5— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 30, 2023
The Sacramento Kings are heading back to the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2006
It took much longer than anyone expected, but the Kings are back in the NBA playoffs are have locked in the third seed in the Western Conference. The Kings have their best record at 46-30 since the 2005-06 season when they went 44-38. That was also the last time they made the playoffs and lost in the first round.
Their 16-year playoff drought was bleak, to say the least. They lost over 800 games in that span and only had one player make an all-star appearance (Demarcus Cousins 3x). That was until De’Aaron Fox and Domantad Sabonis both were all-stars for the Kings this season.
Sacramento is not satisfied to just make the playoffs this season and they have bigger aspirations than that. They’ll have a home-court advantage in the first round on whoever their matchup will be. Currently, the Kings are slotted to play the Golden State Warriors who are the sixth seed. Draymond Green made a public statement and said the Kings are the Warriors’ ideal matchup in the first round. That should have Kings players fired up if they do end up playing the Warriors.
Source: Basketball Insider
