Sacramento hosts one last home game before closing a forgettable season. Here's how to watch and the betting line.
Can the Sacramento Kings light the beam one last time?
And can they also avoid a repeat controversy toward the end of the last contest against the Golden State Warriors?
Crazy to think there'll be some "tanking" scrutiny following the last meeting. Yet here we are ahead of the final home game for the Kings of 2025-26.
Sacramento managed to avoid getting hammered with a fine for the questionable late foul that occurred against GSW. NBA insider for The Athletic Sam Amick broke down the play in question involving head coach Doug Christie and Sacramento.
"Christie, who had three timeouts remaining and would have lost one of them when the game clock dipped below the three-minute mark, ordered the foul with the intention of preserving the timeout and then being able to draw up a play for the next possession. However, the Kings were already in the bonus — a fact Christie was unaware of — meaning Curry was awarded free throws rather than a side-out inbounds," Amick wrote.
Again, Christie and the Kings avoided potential punishment for tanking. Christie himself denies he's out to cheat the game even if it means improving NBA Draft positioning.
"We're out there to win. And our guys are going to play hard to the end, period," Christie told reporters after Thursday's practice.
He added: "I have too much respect for our players, I have too much respect for this city and I have too much respect for the league."
Still, one has to wonder if the Warriors will try to get Sacramento to commit something similar.
Regardless, this game hands Kings fans one more chance to watch the team inside the Golden 1 Center before the following happens next: A new impact rookie arrives. Whether if it's AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson or one of the more recent projections Caleb Wilson.
Meanwhile, who's the favorite in this contest at Downtown Sacramento?
Golden State enters as the 11.5-point favorite to beat the Kings per FanDuel Sportsbook. And the Warriors remain in contention to land at least a play-in spot for the postseason (Dubs are 37-43 overall with two games left).
The game will be aired on both NBC Sports California and NBC Sports Bay Area (the latter serving Warriors fans).
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