We are nearing the end of the 2023-24 NBA regular season, and there is still plenty that has yet to be decided. There are seeding matters that still need to be decided in each conference, and essentially every game down the stretch will mean something for at least one of the participating teams. One of the hottest races comes in the Western Conference’s Play-In Tournament range, and two west coast rivals in the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers will be battling for position down the stretch.
Kings Looking To Hold Off Lakers During Final Week
The Lakers and Kings now have the same record. 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/Jo4Y7IjVDO
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 6, 2024
Entering Tuesday’s action around the league, the Suns were leading in the race for the coveted 6th seed. But Phoenix’s lead on the rest of the teams chasing them was only a single game, as they shared a 46-32 record with the 7th place Pelicans and were slightly ahead of the Kings.
And while the chase for the 6th spot is heating up, the teams involved had better keep an eye in the rearview mirror, as well. As it stood on Tuesday, the Lakers were just a half-game back of the Kings, putting them 1.5 games back of the 6th seed, with the same margin existing between them and the Warriors in the 10th spot.
It is all of course subject to change on a daily basis, but one of the goals for Sacramento heading down the stretch will be to hold off Los Angeles. The Kings have been ahead of the Lakers in the standings for essentially the entire year, but LA recently took the lead for a short spell due to Sacramento going 5-5 over their last 10 games. While both teams would of course prefer to get out of the Play-In range altogether, there is a huge difference between being in the 8th and 9th spots, making each game important for each team in the final days.
Sacramento Has Tough Remaining Schedule
Sabonis tonight:
18 PTS
20 REB
9 AST
+1974th double-double, the most in a season since Moses Malone’s 74 in 1980-81. https://t.co/mNmF3q01qe
— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 8, 2024
The Kings have a tough path for the last week of the season. Three of their four remaining games will come against teams that are above them in the standings in the Western Conference, starting with a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. The Lakers don’t have much of an easier time, though, as they will take on the Golden State Warriors later in the evening, and will play against the Grizzlies and Pelicans to close out the year.
The Kings are 5.5-point underdogs for their game against OKC, and the Lakers are favored by 3.5 against Golden State.
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