NBA Playoffs 2024: What happens if Warriors win or lose vs Kings in the Play-In?
Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors face big game on Tuesday, when they take on the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Play-In Tournament for a place in the 2024 playoffs.
The 2023-24 NBA regular season came to an end with a dramatic finale on Sunday that saw the Golden State Warriors finish 10th in the Western Conference. It wasn’t the position they wanted, but their title aspirations are still alive.
Stephen Curry and company can still make the playoffs, but they’ll have to go through the Play-In first. If it weren’t for this tournament introduced in the 2020-21 season, the Dubs’ would already be eliminated by now.
Steve Kerr’s side has one more shot regardless, which is why the stakes will be so high in its upcoming match against the Sacramento Kings. On Tuesday, the Warriors will know whether their playoff dream is over or not.
What happens if the Lakers win
If the Warriors (10) beat the Kings (9), they will have one more chance to fight for a playoff spot. That’s because the Play-In Tournament states the winner of the 9-10 game earns the right to compete for the 8th seed.
Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors controls the ball against the Chicago Bulls on January 12, 2024 at United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Therefore, a Golden State victory on Tuesday will see Curry and company play the Los Angeles Lakers (8) or the New Orleans Pelicans (7) on Friday with the last ticket to the playoffs up for grabs.
If the Warriors lose in Sacramento on Tuesday, their playoff chances will be over. While the loser of the 7-8 (Kings vs Lakers) matchup has one more shot to make the playoffs, the loser of the 9-10 game goes home.
Martin O'Donnell is a bilingual sports writer fluent in English and Spanish, with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Since joining Bolavip in February 2021, he has extensively covered soccer, NFL, and NBA, specializing in real-time coverage of major events such as the World Cup, UEFA Champions League finals, and the Super Bowl. Martin’s prior experience includes managing social media for the CONMEBOL Libertadores and Sudamericana in English and reporting on Brazilian football for Sambafoot. At Bolavip, he is known for his meticulous coverage during critical sports seasons—covering trades, playoffs, and finals—and for keeping a close eye on soccer icons Lionel Messi at Inter Miami and Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. His attention to detail and ability to capture breaking news have made him a valuable asset to the team.
