Golden State basketball is on the way! Come join our game thread and chat about tonight’s matchup here.
The Golden State Warriors’ fight for the postseason begins with Tuesday’s Play-In Tournament matchup against the Sacramento Kings. The game will be played at 7:00 PM PT in Sacramento and can be watched on TNT.
Previously with the Warriors:
The Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Kings all won their respective games on Sunday afternoon, leaving the Western Conference standings unchanged heading into the postseason. The Warriors finished the year with a record of 46-36, good enough for the 10th seed in the West, followed by the Kings, the Lakers, and the New Orleans Pelicans to round out the rest of the Play-In Tournament teams.
What ya need to know ⤵️@kpthrive || Play-In Tournament pic.twitter.com/nrQtniXojX
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 15, 2024
What to watch for tonight:
As the tenth seed, Golden State will need to win two Play-In road matchups beginning with Tuesday’s game against Sacramento. Fortunately, the Warriors have been much better on the road this season than they’ve been at home, as evidenced by their 25-16 record when playing away from the Chase Center (tied for fourth best among Western Conference teams).
When playing in Sacramento, specifically, the Warriors are 1-1 this season. Having said that, they’re optimistic about the matchup given how last year’s first round series against the Kings ended in their favor.
Tonight’s conditions will be very similar given the win-or-go-home nature of the Play-In. However, while the Warriors enter tonight’s game with some momentum (8-2 in their last 10 games), the Kings are trending downwards, losing five of their last seven games.
Injuries have played a big role in this as Sacramento has played without Six Man of the Year candidate, Malik Monk, for the past two and a half weeks, while sharpshooter Kevin Heurter remains out for the season with a torn labrum.
Malik Monk will be out tomorrow for the Kings, as expected, per Mike Brown. Still only 2.5 weeks since MCL sprain. Keon Ellis has been starting. Davion Mitchell’s role has been elevated. Brown trimmed his rotation to eight recently.
Gary Payton II out for the Warriors.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 15, 2024
While the variance associated with a single game series could always make things challenging, it could also work out in the Warriors’ favor. They are a much better team than their record shows and have the capability to compete with any team given their battle-tested postseason experience.
It should be a fun game. Enjoy the basketball Dub Nation. GO WARRIORS!!!
Projected Starters
Warriors: Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Trayce Jackson-Davis
Kings: De’Aaron Fox, Keon Ellis, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis
How to watch Play-In Tournament Game #1
Who: Golden State Warriors (46 – 36) vs. Sacramento Kings (46 – 36)
When: Tuesday, April 16th, at 7:00 p.m. PT
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California
TV: TNT (available on fuboTV)