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The Sacramento Kings visit the Oracle Arena to face the defending champions, Golden State Warriors in a matchup between two Pacific Division rivals. The Warriors have won all three meetings between the two sides this season but all of them have been really close.
The Warriors are currently the top team in the Western Conference playoff standings with a 41-16 record. They have been superb in the last few months, breaking records for fun.
Stephen Curry, who is having a great season for the Warriors, is leading the team in scoring. The only unanimous MVP in NBA history has taken over games for his side who struggled and went 5-6 when he was out injured.
Kevin Durant is fresh off his recent All-Star MVP honors, while DeMarcus Cousins has been slotted into the starting lineup with ease and has made the Warriors look almost unbeatable.
Meanwhile, the Kings are having a great season themselves. They are the 9th ranked team in the Western Conference and have a 30-27 record. This is the first time in years that they are competing for a playoff spot this late into the season.
De'Aaron Fox has been a great leader for the Kings. He has taken over the Point Guard mantle and leads the team in assists. He has also produced buckets in crunch moments. Buddy Hield has been shooting lights out from the 3PT line and is leading the Kings in points scored per game. Marvin Bagley III is also having a great rookie season.
Let's have a look at the predicted starting lineups for the two teams:
Sacramento Kings: De'Aaron Fox (PG), Buddy Hield (SG), Harrison Barnes (SF), Nemanja Bjelica (PF), Willie Cauley-Stein (C).
Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry (PG), Klay Thompson (SG), Kevin Durant (SF), Draymond Green (PF), DeMarcus Cousins (C).
Match Predictions:
The two teams have played out three extremely close and enthralling matches. The Warriors have come out with the win in all three and I expect that to happen again.
The Warriors will have too much for the visiting Kings on the night and should come away with a comfortable victory.
Guess the Lakers players!
