The Kings' chances at securing a spot in the upcoming NBA playoffs might have just gotten a boost.
San Antonio Spurs power forward LaMarcus Aldridge had surgery on his right shoulder, and will miss the remainder of the 2019-20 season, the team announced Monday. Aldridge was leading the Spurs in rebounding and blocked shots per game, and was the team's second-leading scorer.
Sacramento is 3.5 games out of the final playoff spot at the moment, with the Spurs just a half-game behind. The Kings are even with the Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans in the standings, but the 22 teams invited to Orlando for the NBA's restart will play eight regular-season games before jumping into postseason play.
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The teams played each other twice this season. San Antonio first won in overtime back in early December, then the Kings evened the series with a 20-point win at Golden 1 Center on Feb. 8.
While the path might have become a bit easier for Sacramento without Aldridge in the fold for the Spurs, it will take a pretty dominant run of play for the Kings to have a chance at a playoff berth.