Kings’ Unfocused Play Could Trip Playoff Chances

By Mardeio Cannon | OBSERVER Columnist The 2023-24 Sacramento Kings’ record through Tuesday was one game better than last year’s team. However, the Kings are in a cutthroat battle this year just to make the NBA playoffs in the tough Western Conference. The Kings are in a battle with the Phoenix Suns, the New Orleans Pelicans and the Dallas Mavericks to end the season in the fifth or sixth spot and avoid the play-in games. These teams, as I pen the column, are separated by only one game. These teams also must worry about NBA “bluebloods” the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers, who are lurking in the background. If one or both get hot down the stretch, six teams will be competing for the sixth spot or better. If the Kings finish lower than sixth and must fight to get in the playoffs through the play-in games, they will look back on their season and their performance against teams missing key players. Your Sacramento Kings have competed and performed well against all the top teams at full strength. However, I have witnessed home games where teams were missing not only their star player but several key players,...