The defending NBA champions Golden State Warriors will be the first playoff test for the Sacramento Kings franchise after a very long time. Will the Warriors deal Sacramento a loss on Sunday? Or, do you think the Kings will get the 1-0 lead?
Catch this game live on Sunday, April 16, at 8:30 AM, Manila time
Away: Golden State Warriors (0-0)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Stephen Curry
- SG: Klay Thompson
- SF: Donte DiVincenzo
- PF: Andrew Wiggins
- C: Draymond Green
Sure they have the homecourt disadvantage in this series against the Kings, but it’s undeniable that Golden State has a ton of playoff experience compared to Sacramento. That intangible factor in this matchup is arguably the most important of them all in this series, especially in Game 1.
Golden State is a proven team in the playoffs and it will be out there looking to expose the Kings, whose defense is looking vulnerable against a fuller Warriors squad. Golden State, which is expected to see the return to action of Andrew Wiggins, finished the regular season second in the league with 118.9 points per game and third with a 57.1 effective field goal percentage. They will put that offense in motion against Sacramento’s defense which was just 26th in the regular season with 118.1 points given up per contest.
The Warriors are 11-4-1 ATS in their last 16 games after getting at least three days of rest.
Home: Sacramento Kings (0-0)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: De’Aaron Fox
- SG: Kevin Huerter
- SF: Harrison Barnes
- PF: Keegan Murray
- C: Domantas Sabonis
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: the Warriors suck on the road. That is one fact that can bolster Sacramento’s confidence in this series versus Golden State. The Warriors were an incredibly atrocious team when playing in enemy territory season. Back in the regular season, Golden State came up with only 11 wins against 30 losses as the road team. While their defense appears to be vulnerable, the Kings can make up for it by simply fighting fire with fire.
After all, the Kings were the highest-scoring team in the entire NBA when it was all said and done in the regular season, having averaged 120.7 points per game. They also shot nearly 50 percent (49.4% ) from the field. De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis are unquestionably the top two guys of Sacramento but don’t sleep on Kevin Huerter and Keegan Murray, who are the top two most prolific Kings outside shooters with each shooting over 40 percent from behind the arc.
The Kings are also 13-5 ATS in their last 18 games versus Golden State.
PREDICTIONS:
Spread: The Kings (-1.5) cover the spread.
Over/Under: The total (238.0) hits the Under.
