(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
For many years, the Sacramento Kings have been a laughingstock in the NBA.
Although they have possessed some solid young talent lately, they haven’t made the playoffs since the 2005-06 season.
But this season has been a coming-of-age campaign for Sacramento, as the team has established a 45-30 record, good enough for third place in the Western Conference.
They can clinch a playoff spot with a win tonight over the Portland Trail Blazers, and the odds of getting that win are extremely high, as they are reportedly a 14-point favorite.
That is the highest spread the team has had for a road game in over 30 years.
The Kings are 14-point favorites in Portland as they look to clinch a playoff spot. That would be their most favorable spread in a road game in over 30 years (available data).
Entering the season, Sacramento was +300 to make the playoffs and 250-1 to win the Division. pic.twitter.com/2wL8n1x9bO
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 29, 2023
That time span dates back to well before the outstanding teams the Kings had in the early 2000s that came within a hair of winning the NBA championship in 2002.
But once Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic, and Mike Bibby moved on, they fell on hard times that haven’t abated until now.
This season, they boast a team with two All-Stars in point guard De’Aaron Fox and big man Domantas Sabonis, as well as several potent and reliable role players.
Much as they did back in the day, the Kings are winning with a hot and egalitarian offense that leads the NBA at 121 points per game.
Even in this day and age, that is a beastly number of points, and it has made them one of the highest-scoring teams in league history.
Some doubt whether Sacramento will go far in the playoffs or if they will even get past the first round, but fans certainly have many reasons to “light the beam” these days.
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