Kings playoff scenarios: Clippers big win over Lakers pushes Warriors back to No. 6 seed

Jason Anderson
·3 min read
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There was more movement in the Western Conference standings Wednesday with so much still to be decided over the last four days of the regular season.

The Los Angeles Clippers again moved in front of the Golden State Warriors for fifth in the Western Conference with a 125-118 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, dropping the Warriors back into sixth. This is significant for Sacramento because the Kings, currently seeded third in the West, will play the No. 6 seed in the first round of the playoffs unless they can pass the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 2 seed.

The Kings had a chance to move within one game of the Grizzlies on Wednesday, but they came up short in a 123-119 loss to the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Sacramento remained two games behind Memphis with two games to go. The Kings can still catch the Grizzlies with some help, but the Grizzlies will clinch the No. 2 seed with one more win or one more loss by the Kings.

The Kings will play the Warriors in a potential first-round playoff preview on Friday at Golden 1 Center before concluding the regular season on the road against the top-seeded Denver Nuggets on Sunday. The Warriors are still trying to clinch a playoff spot and avoid the play-in tournament. The Nuggets have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the West.

The Grizzlies will visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. The Bucks have clinched the top seed in the East. The Thunder is trying to hold onto the final play-in spot in the West.

Here’s where the Kings currently stand as they prepare to make their first playoff appearance since 2006.

Current seed: No. 3

The Kings are third in the West, two games behind the No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies with two games remaining. The Kings clinched no less the No. 3 seed and the Pacific Division championship with a 121-103 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday.

First-round matchup: Golden State Warriors

If the playoffs started today, the Kings would play the No. 6 seed, the Warriors, in the first round. The No. 5 Clippers and No. 6 Warriors have identical records, but the Clippers hold the tiebreaker by virtue of their division record. The Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans are only one game back of the Clippers and Warriors, so those teams still have a shot at the No. 6 seed as well.

Homecourt advantage: Yes.

The Kings have clinched homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs, which begin April 15. They will play Game 1 of their first-round series at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The seven-game series will have a 2-2-1-1-1 format with the first two games being played in Sacramento, the next two games being played on the road and alternating sites for the last three games.

Tickets: Are they available?

Tickets for Game 1 of Sacramento’s first-round playoff series haven’t officially gone on sale yet. However, StubHub, a ticket exchange and resale company, has tickets listed for sale with prices ranging from $357 for standing room only to $5,000 for a premium seat in the lower level. The Kings say purchasing a 2023-24 season ticket membership is the best way to get priority access to home playoff games. The Kings are also offering fans a chance to sign up for presale access through a free subscription to Kings Insider emails.