Golden State Warriors vs Sacramento Kings record this season, prediction, rosters, injury reports and more for NBA Playoffs 2023

The Golden State Warriors will try to defend their NBA championship starting with a first-round series against the Sacramento Kings. Golden State grabbed an outright playoff berth in the last week of the regular season while Sacramento comfortably finished in the top three.

The Kings are in the playoffs for the first time since 2006 when they were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in six games. The Warriors, on the other hand, have been largely unbeatable in the playoffs since 2014.

Golden State's only losses in the postseason came in the 2016 finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers and in 2019 versus the Toronto Raptors.

It will be interesting to see how the Sacramento Kings, now coached by Mike Brown, Steve Kerr’s former assistant, will handle the pressure.

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Golden State Warriors vs Sacramento Kings head-to-head matchup this season

The Golden State Warriors won the season series versus the Sacramento Kings 3-1. Golden State won the first two games before Sacramento won the third. The last matchup was a non-bearing encounter for the Kings after already clinching a playoff spot.

The first three games were decided by a total of 15 points. Golden State won 130-125 and 116-113 before Sacramento retaliated with a 122-115 victory. The Bay Area team ran away to a 119-97 win on Apr. 7.

For the Sacramento Kings, All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis has been superb this season against the Bay Area team. Sabonis is averaging 21.3 points on 52.4% shooting, including 40.0% from deep, while also adding 16.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists versus the Warriors.

The Golden State Warriors have had trouble defending him because of his willingness to create for his teammates. Sabonis’ unselfishness has allowed others such as Harrison Barnes and De’Aaron Fox to have more impact on their games.

Steph Curry, on the other hand, has been nearly unstoppable against the Kings. He played all four games and averaged 33.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists. Curry hit 58.4 of his shots against Sacramento, including 50.0% from behind the arc.

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Prediction

The Sacramento Kings have never been tested in the playoffs. Coach Mike Brown, forward Harrison Barnes and backup guard Matthew Dellavedova have the most postseason experience on the team.

Brown and Barnes earned theirs while playing for the Warriors, while Dellavedova was part of a few Cleveland Cavaliers playoff teams. The latter is not expected to play in the series due to surgery.

The Golden State Warriors, meanwhile, have all the poise and championship pedigree stacked on their side. They will be playing on the road, where they’ve been horrible, to open the series.

The postseason, though, is a different matter. The Warriors were starting to build momentum in the last few weeks. Golden State will also have Andrew Wiggins back in the lineup.

The Warriors could move on to the semifinals in a tough seven-game series.

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Injury Report

The Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors are relatively healthy. Only Matthew Dellavedova is unavailable for the Kings due to right index finger surgery.

The Warriors will miss Andre Iguodala after the four-time champ had wrist surgery while Ryan Rollins will also be out after right foot surgery.

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