How Warriors can leap Kings for No. 8 play-in seed in West originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors are locked into the NBA Play-In Tournament, but their push to climb the Western Conference standings continues with just two regular-season games remaining.
Since the All-Star break, the Warriors have been the No. 10 seed for most of the way. But since they’ve managed to go from a stagnant start of the season to playing some of their best ball at just the right time, the No. 8 seed isn’t far out of reach.
The Sacramento Kings currently possess the No. 8 seed, but Golden State has an opportunity to leap its Northern California neighbors and claim it.
All the Warriors need to do is win out and get one more loss from the Kings. The Warriors host the New Orleans Pelicans, who just dominated the Kings on Thursday night for the fifth time this season, on Friday night at Chase Center. It will be the second half of a back-to-back for both teams.
Golden State then will welcome the Utah Jazz to Chase Center for Sunday’s regular-season finale.
Sacramento, which has lost four of its last five contests, also will finish the 2023-24 regular season at home. The Kings will face the Phoenix Suns on Friday night and the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.
The difference between being the No. 9 or No. 10 seed versus the No. 8 seed is quite drastic, of course. The No. 9 and No. 10 seeds will face off in a do-or-die game, while the winner of the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds’ matchup automatically will advance into the playoffs and the loser still will have one more chance to make it.
So, it will be a busy weekend around the Western Conference, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
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