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The Sacramento Kings have officially ended their 16-year playoff drought following their 120-80 blowout win over Portland on Wednesday. This was the longest in American professional sports history. The Kings have been one of the most surprising teams this year.
They are likely to clinch the third seed in the Western Conference, boasting a 45-30 record with seven games left. The Kings are five games clear of the fourth-placed Phoenix Suns and 2.5 games behind the second-placed Memphis Grizzlies.
The Kings have been a lock to make the playoffs over the last couple of weeks. Sacramento was only a few games away from making their postseason berth official. The Kings have finally done it. NBA fans online were ecstatic after their playoff spot-sealing win over the Trail Blazers.
Here are some of the best reactions:
Sacramento Kings will be keen to make a playoff push and prove doubters wrong
The Sacramento Kings have been one of the most exciting teams to watch this season under new coach Mike Brown. The former Cleveland Cavaliers and LA Lakers coach has been instrumental in the team's resurgence this year. Brown led the Kings to the No. 1 offense in the NBA with a 118.9 offensive rating.
Sacramento has relied heavily on that end of the floor. The Kings are bottom five in defense, so making the playoffs as the third seed despite such a glaring weakness is remarkable. It proved to be enough for them to find regular-season success, but doubt remains over their potential in the playoffs.
Defense plays a crucial role in the postseason, and many reckon the Sacramento Kings aren't prepared for that pressure due to their inexperience. The Kings may face the likes of the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and LA Lakers in the first round, making their hopes of making a deep playoff push trickier.
However, the Kings have overcome a major obstacle by ending their playoff drought and might find a recipe for success in the playoffs. Brown's experience will come into play for Sacramento big time in the postseason.
They have the offensive tools to succeed, so even if they play like a top-15 defense at best, the Kings might be a problem in the Western Conference playoffs, even against the more experienced teams with many glaring weaknesses.
Regardless of how their playoff run goes, the Sacramento Kings have done enough to prove they have re-emerged as perennial playoff contenders. They have a tremendously talented roster which will likely get better with more experience after this season.
