The Kings have a big task ahead of them if they look to extend the franchise’s first playoff run since 2006.
A 123-116 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night in Sacramento gave the NBA’s defending champions a 3-2 lead over the Kings in the first round.
That means the Kings are on the brink of elimination, needing to win Game 6 on the road in San Francisco on Friday to force Game 7 back at Golden 1 Center on Sunday. The Warriors have bounced back from the Kings’ 2-0 start, with the road team’s first win of the series on Wednesday.
Playing with a fracture in the tip of his left index finger, De’Aaron Fox looked good early on. He scored 17 points in the first half as he made finger protection seem like a non-issue.
But Fox struggled in the second half, finishing the game with just 24 points and missing his last seven 3-point attempts after starting 3-for-3 from deep.
If the Kings lose Game 6 at Chase Center on Friday, then that’s it – and Wednesday will have been the last home game in what has been a memorable season, breaking a league-record 16-year playoff drought and introducing the world to a giant purple victory laser.
Loyal Kings fans haven’t given up all hope just yet. Here’s what they said after a disappointing Game 5 loss.
