3 Bold Predictions for Kings’ Pivotal Matchup Against Rival Warriors

Tuesday night marks a massive night for the Sacramento Kings, as they will look to cap off their final In-Season Tournament matchup with a win against their Pacific Division rival, the Golden State Warriors.

The Kings have remained perfect through their first three tourney games, but a difficult challenge lies ahead with Golden State, a team that currently leads the season series 2-0. However, the Kings have recently looked fluid, more consistent, and mostly healthy, which are signs of optimism for this one.

With that, here are three bold predictions for the Kings’ third game of the season against the Warriors:

De’Aaron Fox Puts Up 35+ Points

The last time we saw Fox up against this team, it was a pretty dangerous sight. While it did not result in a win, he posted a stellar 39-point performance, along with four rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Without a chance to play in their second matchup of the season sitting out with an ankle injury, De'Aaron will be sure to make an impact in this one.

Coming off of two straight losses (along with a playoff elimination) against this club, this is the perfect opportunity for Fox to add to his MVP campaign. He’ll have the home crowd rallying behind him, combined with some lasting momentum from the last time he faced off against the Warriors.

I see another vintage performance in store for Fox, posting a 35+ point outing in another battle against Steph Curry and Co.

Kevin Huerter Puts It Together From Beyond the Arc

The most recent games Huerter has had against the Warriors haven’t gone as smoothly as Kings fans would hope. In his last two games, he's put together 11 total points, shooting a combined 4/16 from the field, and a disheartening 1/10 from three.

His first-round series from a season ago also did not go as planned, shooting a 20.6% clip from range through seven games. For Sacramento to find success against this team, Huerter needs to find some enhanced consistency.

Thankfully, a shooter can’t stay cold forever.

Huerter has shown the ability to produce against Golden State as recently as last season, putting together two separate performances draining 3+ threes. Now, it’s time for the Red Mamba to add to that total. Look for him to get back on track, having an effective game shooting the pill.

Kings Get Revenge & the Win

A Kings win over the Warriors is long overdue. It’s a squad Sacramento has struggled notably against across the last decade, with a combined regular season record of 8-32 since 2013-14. It’s time for a change.

De’Aaron Fox will be healthy, and Domantas Sabonis has had an electric start to the year. With the Kings’ All-NBA pairing now on the same wavelength, this one feels different. Keegan Murray stands as doubtful, but this team still has enough production in guys like Huerter, Malik Monk, and Harrison Barnes to overcome the loss.

If the Kings can hold it together defensively against an explosive team like Golden State, there stands a great opportunity ahead for Sacramento to make this series 1-2.

Score Prediction: Kings win, 124-115.

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