Kings' Playoff Hopes Are Officially Crushed After Loss to Hornets

The Sacramento Kings nearly put together just their second three-game winning streak of the season, but fell just short against the Charlotte Hornets at home. With a 117-109 loss to the Hornets, the Kings have moved to 16-51 on the season, and as they sit in last place in the Western Conference, their season is officially over.

With their loss on Wednesday, the Kings have officially been eliminated from playoff contention, becoming just the second team this season to do so.

With their loss to the Charlotte Hornets last night, the Sacramento Kings have been officially eliminated from postseason contention.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) March 12, 2026

The Indiana Pacers were the first team to be eliminated from postseason contention after the Kings beat them on Tuesday night, but Sacramento's bragging rights did not last very long, as they were eliminated about 24 hours later.

What's left to play for?

Of course, every team's goal going into the season is to make the playoffs. Every player in the league wants to play on that stage, but as unfortunate as it is for the Kings' veterans, they never really had a chance this year.

The Kings will go the entire 2025-26 season without seeing their lineup at full strength due to various injuries, and with a roster already poorly constructed, they were set up for failure.

Now, with 15 games left, the Kings do not have much to play for. For a while, the Kings held the top spot in the draft lottery, but after beating the Pacers, Indiana claimed that spot. Now, the two injury-ridden bottom dwellers will be fighting for the best odds in the 2026 NBA Draft lottery, but the Kings are certainly not trying to lose.

17-year veteran DeMar DeRozan made it clear that he is trying to make the most of these games.

"For me, you know, you can't take these moments for granted. Just being able to play the game of basketball. You know, 17 years in, you never know when your last game is going to be," DeRozan said last week. "... For me, I just want to enjoy every single moment that I have to play basketball."

Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan and guard Russell Westbrook — Nov 20, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan (10) and guard Russell Westbrook (18) walk toward the bench during a timeout during the first quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

It is unfortunate that the Kings are out of playoff contention with aging veterans like DeRozan and Russell Westbrook doing all they can to help the team, but that is the reality of Sacramento's situation. Even with a team full of veterans, the Kings have fallen well short of expectations and are one of the worst teams in the NBA. Now, they have to play the final 15 games knowing it is impossible to make even a play-in push.

Although, realistically, the Kings have been "eliminated" from playoff contention for months. Now, it is just official, which is still crushing to hear.