In the race to the NBA playoffs in the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings both secured at least a top-10 seed with big wins on Sunday. The Warriors defeated the Utah Jazz 118-110 with Klay Thompson scoring 32 points and Jonathan Kuminga recording a double-double in his return from injury. The Warriors are now just 1.5 games behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the No. 9 spot in the West. If the play-in tournament started after Sunday’s games, Golden State would face off against the Lakers in the first game. Despite being the No. 10 seed, the Warriors still have a shot at securing an outright playoff berth as the No. 6 seed.
Meanwhile, the Kings also secured at least a top-10 spot with an impressive 107-77 blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets. Sacramento remains the No. 8 seed and is just one game back from the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns, who are tied for the No. 6 seed. If the play-in tournament began Sunday, the Kings would face the Pelicans. The updated Western Conference standings show the Timberwolves and Nuggets tied for the top spot, with the Thunder and Clippers close behind. The Mavericks and Suns round out the current playoff spots.
Both the Warriors and Kings have a day off on Monday before returning to action on Tuesday. The Kings will take on the Thunder in a crucial game, while the Warriors will face off against the Lakers in another pivotal matchup. With the playoff picture still fluid in the Western Conference, every game is crucial for both teams as they look to secure a spot in the postseason. The Warriors and Kings will need to continue their winning ways to solidify their positions and potentially move up in the standings as the regular season comes to a close.
