The Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors, two teams from the Western Conference, will play their first NBA games of the season on Saturday at the Golden 1 Center.
The visiting team is trying for their fourth victory in five games, while the home team will be hoping to go back to winning ways after their three-match winning streak was cut short just before the All-Star break.
Mike Brown was fired because the Sacramento Kings, who had become a team to watch in the West, were in serious risk of missing out on the playoffs due to their 13-18 record after the first 31 games.
Brown's assistant, Doug Christie, was subsequently appointed to take the reins, and the 54-year-old made a blistering start to life with 10 wins from his opening 11 matches. However, his momentum slowed significantly, as he managed only two wins from the subsequent eight games. This inconsistency has left the Kings in a precarious position as they navigate the latter stages of the season.
Three straight wins on the bounce somewhat helped the Kings regain their footing, but their progress was halted by a thrilling 140-133 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday at the Smoothie King Center. Despite a valiant effort, the Kings were unable to contain the Pelicans' offensive firepower. Down by two with just under six seconds left, Malik Monk displayed remarkable composure, sinking two clutch free throws to force overtime. However, CJ McCollum took over in the extra period, scoring 11 points to lead his team to victory.
The Kings currently sit ninth in a tightly packed Western Conference standings, where the race for playoff positioning is expected to intensify as the season approaches its final stages following the conclusion of the All-Star break. Every game now carries significant weight, and the Kings will need to find consistency to secure their place in the postseason.
Off the back of five straight wins against their upcoming opponents, including two victories this season already, Saturday's hosts will be confident of continuing their fine run in this fixture. Securing a series win for the regular season could prove crucial later on, as it may provide a psychological edge or tiebreaker advantage in the tightly contested Western Conference. The Kings will be eager to capitalize on their recent success and build momentum as they push for a playoff berth.
The Golden State Warriors are among the most talked-about NBA teams as usual, and there has been a lot of discussion recently about their capacity to contend at the greatest level in the latter stages of Steph Curry's unquestionably remarkable career.
Curry has demonstrated that he is still capable of turning on the style with six straight 25-point games leading up to the All-Star weekend in San Francisco, when he was also awarded MVP of the All-Star Game, even though he has averaged his lowest points total (23.4) since the 2012–13 season.
After being eliminated by the Kings in the play-in tournament the previous season, Kerr's team will need its talisman to perform consistently now more than ever before they risk missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year. The Warriors will now want to finish a seven-game road trip on a positive note after defeating the Houston Rockets 105-98 in their most recent game. They will next play the Dallas Mavericks, Charlotte Hornets, and Orlando Magic to close out February. The fight on the glass might be pivotal in deciding who wins or loses this weekend's matchup between two of the NBA's top ten rebounding teams.
