The Sacramento Kings have put together a two-game win streak behind incredible performances from two-time All-Star Zach LaVine. Even though the two wins came against the 15th-place team in the West and the 14th-place team in the East, the Kings looked capable enough to compete with playoff squads.
The Kings will certainly be tested coming up, facing the Rockets, Mavericks, and Nuggets on the road for their next three games. If the Kings can go 2-1, it would be a successful stretch, but 0-3 is a dangerous possibility as well.
Sacramento already sits in 10th place in the West with a 30-28 record, but are three-and-a-half games ahead of the 11th-place Suns, holding the final Play-In Tournament spot comfortably for now.
Four-time NBA All-Star and former Kings star DeMarcus Cousins was asked whether or not the Kings would be in the playoffs, and while he did not give a definite answer, he showed some support for his former team.
"I think they're good enough to get in," Cousins said.
Co-stars Lou Williams and Chandler Parsons each agreed that the Kings were good enough to get in the playoffs, but it will ultimately come down to the Play-In Tournament.
It would take a lot for the Kings to miss the Play-In, so they will likely have to win back-to-back road games against two of the following teams: Mavericks, Timberwolves, Warriors, and Clippers.
The Kings' talent is undeniable with a core of Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, Keegan Murray, and Keon Ellis, along with their solid new additions, but they have underperformed at times. If the Kings play up to their potential, they are undoubtedly a playoff-caliber team, but they will have a challenging stretch getting there.
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