Sacramento Kings 'Nightmare' Playoff Matchup Revealed

The Sacramento Kings could have their hands full in the postseason against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Logan Struck | Mar 16, 2025

Feb 1, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) moves the ball as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) defends during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

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The Sacramento Kings have now lost four consecutive games to fall to 33-33 on the season, but not only are they losing, they are getting blown out. The Kings have lost their last three games by an average of 23.7 points, and the franchise could be entering panic mode.

The Kings now sit in ninth place in the Western Conference and are in serious jeopardy of missing the playoffs. With just 16 games left in the regular season, the Kings will likely finish in ninth place in the conference and would have to win two Play-In Tournament games to get to the playoffs.

Jan 10, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10), forward Keegan Murray (13) and forward Domantas Sabonis (11) react after defeating the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

If the Kings do make the playoffs, they will likely be the eighth seed. With the Oklahoma City Thunder sitting 12.5 games ahead of the second-place team in the West, they have practically locked up the first seed to create a tough matchup for whatever team earns the final playoff spot.

Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz predicts the Kings to finish eighth in the West but revealed their "nightmare matchup" to be the Thunder.

The Kings and Thunder have had some good battles over the years, but this season has been a different story. The Thunder are 2-0 over the Kings this season, winning by a combined 55 points in their two matchups.

The Kings have shown the potential to beat any team in the NBA when in rhythm, but OKC is certainly the last team in the West they would want to face in a seven-game series. Unfortunately for the Kings, if they do make the playoffs, they are nearly guaranteed to face the Thunder in the first round.