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The Sacramento Kings ended a 16-year-playoff drought, the longest streak for any professional US sports team, on Wednesday.
The Kings, third in the Western Conference, beat the Portland Trail Blazers 120-80 on the road to qualify for the 2023 playoffs. It will be their first appearance in the postseason since the 2005-06 NBA season.
Sacramento entered Wednesday's game against the Trail Blazers with a 45-30 record. They needed a win and a Minnesota Timberwolves loss against the Phoenix Suns to make their playoff appearance official.
That's exactly how the night went, as the T'Wolves lost 107-100 to the Suns on the road. The Kings have been on the brink of sealing their postseason trip over the last few games, but their own and other teams' results didn't favor them until Wednesday.
The Kings improved to 46-30 and will likely enter the playoffs as the third seed. With six games left, Sacramento is two games behind the 48-28 Memphis Grizzlies and five games ahead of the 41-35 fourth-place Phoenix Suns.
The Sacramento Kings could face the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, or LA Lakers in the playoffs. The three teams are vying for the sixth seed and are separated by a 1.5-game margin. The Warriors currently own the sixth spot with a 40-37 record.
12 coaching changes later Sacramento Kings end up in playoffs in dominant fashion
The Sacramento Kings have been one of the most surprising and exciting teams this season. The preseason projection landed them in the play-in bracket at best. However, under new coach Mike Brown, their 12th head coach (interims included) since their last playoff appearance in 2006, the Kings dominated on their way to a postseason trip.
Brown led the team as the league's No. 1 offense. The Kings have an offensive rating of 118.8. Nobody expected them to win their division, featuring other contenders like the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, LA Clippers and LA Lakers.
However, Brown's leadership and system gelled well with the talent the Kings have on their roster. De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis have been the key architects of this resurgence. The former even made his debut All-Star appearance, averaging 25.2 points and 6.2 assists, shooting 51.2%. He also leads the league in clutch scoring, tallying 185 points in crunch situations.
Meanwhile, Sabonis made his third All-Star appearance this year and received MVP recognition for his performances. He has averaged 19.1 points, 12.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game, shooting 61.1%.
Considering how the Sacramento Kings have performed, they could become perennial playoff contenders. They have the tools and the head coach to lead them to new heights after a decade and a half of struggles.
