No matter what happens in Game 6 against the Golden State Warriors, the Kings’ ride through the 2022-23 NBA season already is a rousing success.
A team expected to not make more than a small dent in the loaded Western Conference slashed its way to the No. 3 playoff seed. It had the defending champions on the ropes by winning the first two tilts of a best-of-seven playoff series.
Now trailing 3-2, Sacramento is in jeopardy of the blue-and-yellow bullies in San Francisco sending up the closing credits on the most memorable Kings season in two decades.
Davion Mitchell, the Kings’ defensive stopper who has taken his game to another level in the postseason, said the team’s vibe in the locker room following the 123-116 loss to the Warriors in Game 5 was that of “desperation.”
“It’s win or go home,” Mitchell said. “Just like how we were up 2-0 and they did a really good job of coming out strong and hitting us in the mouth Game 3, and they kind of took that over, we have to have the same mindset coming in.
“It’s a really good team, especially at home. We’ve got to punch them in the mouth first.”
Sacramento, losers of three straight, lost four consecutive games once all year -- the first four games of the regular season when it was still searching for an identity under new head coach Mike Brown. Since then, the Kings have lost three straight games twice. They rattled off at least two consecutive wins both times.
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That’s exactly what they have in mind this weekend.
“We’ve been great when our backs are against the wall all season,” Brown said Wednesday night. “I don’t see it being any different. We’ll be ready for Game 6. Our guys know what’s at stake. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Standing on the brink of elimination is new territory for the Kings this season, to their credit. They clinched a top-six playoff spot with two weeks remaining in the regular season while other teams — including Golden State — scrapped for their playoff lives on the season’s final day.
But all the Kings have done this season is pass whatever test comes their way. No one is clowning president of basketball operations Monte McNair anymore for trading Tyrese Haliburton for Domantas Sabonis. Keegan Murray proved to be more than worthy of the No. 4 overall pick and set a bit of rookie NBA history along the way
And, of course, the playoff drought. Those two words won’t be said in Sacramento without the preface “remember when … ” thanks to Brown’s staff and this group of players.
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Game 6 won’t define this Kings season. Images of the team that snapped the drought will grace Golden 1 Center in the coming months.
But a win on the road against the defending champions to force a Game 7 at home? That would be a perfect illustration of the 2022-23 Kings, defying all expectations yet again.
“Biggest thing is if we lose, our season comes to an end. It’s as simple as that,” Brown said. “That in itself should heighten the sense of urgency to go get it done. I have full confidence in our guys that they’ll be ready to get it done.”