They don’t call it the “Wild West” for nothing.
Even as the final day of the 2023-24 NBA regular season approaches, and after both teams lost Friday night, the Warriors (45-36) and Kings (45-36) are still fighting for the playoff positioning.
If the season ended today, the two teams would face off in a winner-take-all matchup between the No. 9 and 10 seeds on Tuesday, April 16 at Golden 1 Center. The Kings hold the tiebreaker against the Warriors and would claim the higher seed due to their better record in the Pacific Division.
However, fortunately for both teams, they are not locked into either of the bottom two seeds and still have a chance to move ahead of the No. 8 seed Los Angeles Lakers and avoid a potential one-off matchup. Here’s how:
If the Lakers beat the New Orleans Pelicans (49-32) on Sunday, the Warriors and Kings will be locked in the matchup of the No. 9 and 10 seeds, with Sacramento still holding the tiebreaker and the lead. highest series even if both teams win their last matches. on Sunday.
If the Lakers lose to the Pelicans, the Kings will be seeded No. 8 with a victory against the Portland Trail Blazers (21-60), Sunday at Golden 1 Center. Finally, if the Lakers and Kings both lose, the Warriors will be seeded No. 8 with a victory against the Utah Jazz (31-50) on Sunday at Chase Center.
Simply put, the Kings want a Sacramento win and a Lakers loss. While the Warriors are looking for a win and Golden State loses to the Kings and Lakers.
According to a press release sent out Saturday by the NBA, West Games 7-8 and Games 9-10 will only take place on Tuesday if the Philadelphia 76ers are the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, likely in due to the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. play a home game at the Wells Fargo Center, which they share with the 76ers, on Tuesday.
If the 76ers are not the seventh seed in the East, the West’s 7-8 game will be played on Tuesday, while the 9-10 game will be played on Wednesday, April 17.
There is still a lot to do, but we are close to reaching the finish line.
How will the Western Conference evolve? And where will the Warriors and Kings end up? Tune in to NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California’s coverage of Sunday’s regular season finales, with Warriors Pregame Live beginning at 11:30 a.m. and Kings Pregame Live beginning at 12:00 p.m.