Sacramento Kings end historic playoff drought
For the first time since the 2005-06 season, the Sacramento Kings will be playing in the NBA Playoffs following the team’s win Wednesday night over the Portland Trail Blazers.
With a record of 46-30, the Kings sit in third place in the Western Conference and have the seventh-most wins in the league. Sacramento broke the longest active postseason drought (16 seasons) of any team across the major North American sports.
The 2022-23 Kings team smashed preseason expectations after the team was projected to win just 34.5 games, according to Basketball Reference’s preseason betting odds index. With six games left in their season, the Kings could potentially break the 50-win threshold for the first time since the 2004-05 season.
Head coach Mike Brown turned the Kings into one of the most potent offenses in the NBA in his first season with the team. As of March 30, Sacramento has the highest offensive rating in the league at 118.8. These numbers helped propel Brown to be the odds-on favorite to win the 2022 NBA Coach of the Year Award.
The team found new energy behind its “light the beam” gimmick and its All-Star duo of guard De’Aaron Fox and forward Domantas Sabonis. They became the first pair of Kings to receive this honor since forward Peja Stojakovic and center Brad Miller in the 2003-04 season.
Fox is averaging over 25 points per game and currently leads the NBA in clutch-time scoring. Sabonis averages 19.1 points per game, 7.2 assists per game and a league-leading 12.4 rebounds per game.
The Kings' other key contributors include veteran forward Harrison Barnes, guard Malik Monk -- who has multiple 30-point games off the bench this season -- defensive guard Davion Mitchell, sharpshooting wing Kevin Huerter and rookie forward Keegan Murray, who broke the NBA rookie three-point record Wednesday night.
With the West in such a tight race down the stretch, it’s unknown who the Kings will face in the first round of the playoffs. For now, though, Kings fans can relax knowing their team finally ended its drought.
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