How To Watch NBA Playoffs First-Round: Warriors at Kings Game 1
The 2022-23 NBA regular season has come to an end and with the Play-In Tournament coming to an end, it is officially time for the playoffs to begin!
On Saturday night, the first-round series between the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings will begin, as the two teams will meet in Sacramento for Game 1.
The Kings are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2006 and not only will they be pumped up and ready to go against the defending NBA champions, but their fan base is going to be roaring and electric inside Golden 1 Center for this game.
Mike Brown, a former assistant on Steve Kerr’s staff with the Warriors, has done an excellent job in his first season with the Kings and Sacramento is led by their two All-Stars in Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox, who have helped construct one of the best offenses in the entire league.
As for Golden State, this season has been a little bit of a rollercoaster ride simply because they have not had their full team together much.
Heading into this series though, their core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Jordan Poole is healthy and ready to go, which is why we cannot count the Warriors out just yet.
Sacramento will have a lot of adrenaline and energy heading into this series, but they are inexperienced compared to the Warriors, who have won four titles in the last eight seasons.
Will the Warriors quiet the Sacramento faithful in Game 1 or will the Kings take the early advantage in this series with a win?
Here's how to watch Saturday’s game, with game time and TV, lineups, bios and other must-know details.
How to watch Warriors vs. Kings
WHO: Golden State Warriors (0-0) vs. Sacramento Kings (0-0)
WHAT: 2023 NBA Western Conference Playoffs: First-Round, Game 1
WHEN: 8:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, April 15
WHERE: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California
TV: ABC
Key Stats & Facts For Warriors vs. Kings
- The Kings and Warriors faced off four times during the regular season with the Warriors winning three of the four games played, outscoring the Kings by 23 points.
- The Kings finished the regular season ranking 1st in offensive rating and 25th in defensive rating, while the Warriors finished the regular season ranking 8th in offensive rating and 17th in defensive rating.
- Sacramento is 23-18 at home this season and Golden State is 11-30 on the road.
Last Matchup:
April 7, 2023 - Warriors 119, Kings 97
With Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox and Kevin Huerter all out for the Kings, the Warriors steamrolled past Sacramento on the road. Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry got things going offensively and stayed hot the entire game, scoring a combined 54 points on 8-15 shooting from three-point range for the Warriors. Jonathan Kuminga also stepped up off-the-bench for Golden State with 15 points and Gary Payton II recorded 10 points and 5 rebounds off-the-bench. Trey Lyles and Chimezie Metu finished the game as the Kings’ leading scorers with 15 points each.
Latest Injury News:
Warriors Injuries: Ryan Rollins (foot) - Out, Andre Iguodala (wrist) - Out
Kings Injuries: Matthew Dellavedova (finger) - Out
Projected Starters:
PROJECTED WARRIORS STARTERS:
- G Stephen Curry, 6-2 guard: 29.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists (2022-23 season stats)
- G Donte DiVincenzo, 6-4 guard: 9.4 points, 4.5 rebounds
- G/F Klay Thompson, 6-6 guard/forward: 21.9 points, 4.1 rebounds
- F Draymond Green, 6-6 forward: 8.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists
- C Kevon Looney, 6-9 center: 7.0 points, 9.3 rebounds
PROJECTED KINGS STARTERS:
- G De’Aaron Fox, 6-3 guard: 25.0 points, 6.1 assists
- G/F Kevin Huerter, 6-7 guard/forward: 15.2 points, 3.3 rebounds
- F Keegan Murray, 6-8 forward, 6-7 forward: 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds
- F Harrison Barnes, 6-8 forward: 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds
- C Domantas Sabonis, 6-11 center: 19.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists
Betting Odds:
- The Kings are currently 5.5-point favorites over the Warriors as of Saturday morning, according to SI Sportsbook.
- The over/under for this matchup is currently set at 237.5 total points.
What to watch for:
- The Sacramento Kings are making their first postseason appearance since 2006.
- The Golden State Warriors won the 2022 NBA Finals a year ago and have won four of the last eight championships.
- Sacramento is 46-18 this season when they score at least 110 points. Golden State is 41-27 this season when they score at least 110 points.
- The Kings and Warriors have never met in the playoffs before this season.
Be sure to catch up on the newest episode of The Fast Break Podcast hosted by Fastbreak's own Brett Siegel!
Streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, The Fast Break Podcast takes you inside the league with the latest news, intel, rumors and interviews from those close to the action for all 30 teams. Be on the lookout for a new episodes every Friday.
