Kings vs. Nets: Western Conference playoffs, play-in race, injury news, scouting reports

Jason Anderson
·4 min read
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The Kings are going to find themselves in the play-in tournament if they can’t leapfrog three teams in the final week of the season to secure the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference playoff race.

The Kings (44-33) have fallen to ninth in the West as they prepare to face the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday at Barclays Center. Sacramento is two games behind the No. 6 Phoenix Suns, one game behind the No. 7 New Orleans Pelicans and a half-game behind the No. 8 Los Angeles Lakers with the Golden State Warriors two games back in the 10th spot.

The Kings will play the Pelicans on Thursday and the Suns on Friday before concluding the regular season against the Portland Trail Blazers on April 14. A strong finish could catapult Sacramento back up to No. 6 and an automatic playoff berth, but more missteps could cause them to drop to No. 10.

The Nets (31-47) have already been eliminated from playoff contention. They are 11th in the Eastern Conference, five games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the final play-in spot with only four games remaining.

The Kings are dealing with the absences of Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk. Huerter underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum. Monk is expected to miss four to six weeks with a right MCL sprain, although he told The Sacramento Bee on Thursday he was feeling “better than expected” six days after suffering the injury.

The Nets will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back after beating the Detroit Pistons 113-103 on Saturday. Dennis Smith Jr. has been upgraded to probable after missing Saturday’s game with a hip injury.

Nic Claxton has remained in the lineup despite suffering a nasal fracture in a March 23 game against the New York Knicks, but he is questionable against the Kings due to a left ankle sprain. Dennis Schroder is questionable with right Achilles tendinitis. Keita Bates-Diop (tibia), Dorian Finney-Smith (knee), Cameron Johnson (toe) and Ben Simmons (back) are out.

This will be the second and final meeting between the Kings and Nets this season. The Kings handed the Nets a 131-118 loss on Dec. 11 in Sacramento.

Scouting Sacramento

De’Aaron Fox is putting up 26.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.0 steals for the Kings. He scored 40 points to help the Kings rally from two big deficits in Friday’s 101-100 loss to the Boston Celtics.

Domantas Sabonis has recorded 60 consecutive double-doubles, the longest single-season streak since the ABA-NBA merger in 1976. Sabonis is averaging 19.6 points, 13.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists. He leads the league in rebounding, double-doubles (73) and triple-doubles (26).

The Kings are searching for so answers without Monk and Huerter, who were combining for 21.1 field-goal attempts per game. Monk averages 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists. Huerter was averaging 10.2 points per game.

Keegan Murray is averaging 15.1 points and 5.4 rebounds. Harrison Barnes averages 12.2 points while hitting 39.5% from 3-point range, but he scored a total of 16 points while going 4 of 14 from long distance in the past three games.

Scouting Brooklyn

Cam Thomas leads the Nets in scoring, averaging 22.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists. Mikal Bridges averages 20.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 37% from 3-point range on 7.3 attempts per game.

Schroder has been good in 26 games since being acquired in a trade with the Toronto Raptors, averaging 14.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists while shooting 43.9% from beyond the arc.

Johnson is averaging 13.4 points and 4.4 rebounds. Claxton is putting up 12.0 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.0 blocks while Lonnie Walker IV averages 9.8 points and Finney-Smith averages 8.6 points and 4.6 rebounds.

Kings at Nets

When: 4:30 p.m.

Where: Barclays Center

TV: NBC Sports California

Radio: Sactown Sports 1140

Odds: Kings -6.5

Over/under: 222.5

Injury report

Kings: OUT — Jordan Ford (G League); Kevin Huerter (shoulder); Mason Jones (G League); Malik Monk (knee); Jalen Slawson (G League).

Nets: PROBABLE — Dennis Smith Jr. (hip). QUESTIONABLE — Nic Claxton (ankle); Dennis Schroder (Achilles). OUT — Keita Bates-Diop (tibia); Dorian Finney-Smith (knee); Jacob Gilyard (G League); Cameron Johnson (toe); Keon Johnson (G League); Jaylen Martin (G League); Ben Simmons (back).

Upcoming schedule

April 7 at Brooklyn Nets

April 9 at Oklahoma City Thunder

April 11 vs. New Orleans Pelicans

April 12 vs. Phoenix Suns

April 14 vs. Portland Trail Blazers