Like Warriors, Kings can claim West No. 8 heading into final game

Like Warriors, Kings Can Claim West No. 8 Heading into Final Game originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area

They don’t call it the “wild west” for nothing.

Even heading into the final day of the 2023-24 NBA regular season, and after both teams lost on Friday night, the Warriors (45-36) and Kings (45-36) are still fighting for position in the postseason.

If the season ended today, the two teams would meet in a win-or-go-home game between the 9th and 10th seeds on Tuesday, April 16 at Golden 1 Center. The Kings hold the tiebreaker over the Warriors and would claim the higher seed due to their better record in the Pacific Division.

However, fortunately for both teams, they are not locked into either of the bottom two and still have a chance to overtake the No. 8 Los Angeles Lakers and avoid the potential showdown. See how:

If the Lakers beat the New Orleans Pelicans (49-32) on Sunday, the Warriors and Kings will be tied in the matchup between the 9th and 10th seeds, with Sacramento still holding the tiebreaker and the highest seed, even if both teams win their final games. on Sunday.

If the Lakers lose to the Pelicans, the Kings will be ranked eighth with a win over the Portland Trail Blazers (21-60) on Sunday at Golden 1 Center. Finally, if the Lakers and Kings lose, the Warriors will be ranked eighth with a win over the Utah Jazz (31-50) on Sunday at Chase Center.

Simply put, the Kings are rooting for a Sacramento win and a Lakers loss. While the Warriors are hoping for a Golden State win and Kings and Lakers losses.

According to a press release sent out by the NBA on Saturday, the 7-8 West matchup and the 9-10 matchups will be on Tuesday only if the Philadelphia 76ers are seventh in the Eastern Conference, likely due to the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL. playing at home at the Wells Fargo Center, which it shares with the 76ers, on Tuesday.

If the 76ers are not the seventh seed in the East, the 7-8 West game will be played on Tuesday, with the 9-10 game played on Wednesday, April 17.

There are still a lot of moving parts, but we are almost at the finish line.

What will the Western Conference be like? And where will the Warriors and Kings end up? Tune in to NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California’s coverage of Sunday’s regular season finals, with Warriors Pregame Live beginning at 11:30 a.m. and Kings Pregame Live beginning at 12 p.m.