On Wednesday night, the Sacramento Kings brought an end to their 17-year drought of missing the playoffs by securing a postseason spot with a resounding 120-80 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
This marks their first playoff appearance since the 2005-2006 season, making them the team with the longest playoff drought in U.S. major professional sports.
The road to clinching the playoffs was not without obstacles. Earlier this week, the Kings narrowly missed an opportunity to celebrate with their fans during their home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, losing 119-115. However, Wednesday's win against the Blazers not only secured the playoff spot but also granted the Kings home-court advantage in the postseason opener.
De'Aaron Fox and Kevin Huerter were instrumental in the Kings' victory, scoring 18 and 17 points, respectively. Additionally, Kings rookie Keegan Murray broke the NBA record for the most 3-pointers made in a season by a rookie, surpassing Donovan Mitchell's 187-mark in the 2017-2018 season.
Currently, the Kings sit at third place in the Western Conference, with the first-place Denver Nuggets and the Memphis Grizzlies already having clinched their playoff spots. While the Kings could have secured their spot earlier in the night, the Los Angeles Clippers' 141-132 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies delayed the celebration.
The Portland Trail Blazers, on the other hand, suffered their fourth consecutive loss, and their tenth in the last 11 games, effectively eliminating them from playoff contention. Despite rookie Shaedon Sharpe's 30-point performance, the Blazers were unable to match the Kings' dominance on the court.
