Where Warriors, Kings stand in Western Conference playoff picture originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors made up ground and the Kings stumbled in the tight and ever-changing Western Conference playoff picture Friday night.
In the early window, the short-handed Warriors routed the Charlotte Hornets 115-97 at Spectrum Center, led by 23 points from Steph Curry, 20 points from Andrew Wiggins and 18 points from rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis. Golden State improved to 39-34 with the win.
At Golden 1 Center, the Kings blew a 15-point lead and lost their second consecutive game to the Dallas Mavericks 107-103. All five Sacramento starters scored in double figures, but Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic were too much to handle down the stretch.
The Kings remain in eighth place in the Western Conference, a half game behind the Phoenix Suns, who lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier in the night.
For the Warriors, while they closed the gap on the Los Angeles Lakers to 1.5 games, they also are attempting to hold off the hard-charging Houston Rockets.
Golden State maintained its one-game lead over Houston after the Rockets beat the Utah Jazz 101-100 at Delta Center.
Here’s the updated Western Conference standings through Friday’s NBA action:
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Minnesota Timberwolves — 51-22
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Oklahoma City Thunder — 51-22
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Denver Nuggets — 51-23
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LA Clippers — 46-27
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New Orleans Pelicans — 45-28
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Dallas Mavericks — 44-29
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Phoenix Suns — 43-31
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Sacramento Kings — 42-31
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Los Angeles Lakers — 41-33
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Golden State Warriors — 39-34
** -
Houston Rockets — 38-35
** -
Utah Jazz — 29-45 — Eliminated
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Memphis Grizzlies — 24-49 — Eliminated
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Portland Trail Blazers — 19-55 — Eliminated
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San Antonio Spurs — 18-56 — Eliminated
The Warriors and Kings both are off Saturday before returning to action Sunday. Golden State wraps up its road trip against San Antonio at 4 p.m. PDT, while Sacramento hosts Utah at 6 p.m. PDT.
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
