It's official: the Sacramento Kings are locked into the play-in tournament after suffering a 135-125 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night at home. It was an overall frustrating night, as the Kings were unable to slow down the Pelicans' high-octane offense led by Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum, both of whom had 31 points. In fact, one Kings fan had to take out their frustrations in a disruptive yet hilarious manner.
With less than a minute to go in the game and the Pelicans up by 11, Williamson took on two defenders and drew a foul. But while the Pelicans star was motoring his way towards the hoop, an angry Kings fan decided to throw a chicken wing onto the hardwood, prompting an all-timer bit of commentary from TNT play-by-play commentator Kevin Harlan.
“It's a chicken wing! Why would someone throw something that good out on the floor?” Harlan said, eliciting some laughter from his partner in the booth, Reggie Miller. “It's crispy, it's warm, and I almost had to go out and get it, I'm so hungry!”
"It's a chicken wing! Why would someone throw something that good out on the floor? It's crispy, it's warm, and I almost had to go out and get it, I'm so hungry!"
Kevin Harlan on the Kings fan who threw a chicken wing on the court vs. the Pelicans 🤣pic.twitter.com/bQQYlZnHes
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 12, 2024
Indeed, what a waste that is of a perfectly good chicken wing. Instead of wasting it on act of frustration that will net the offender a deserved punishment, the Kings fan should have just consumed the wing to at least appease one's feelings of anger amid Sacramento's difficult predicament.
Kings still in danger of falling to 9th or 10th
At present, the Kings are locked into a three-way tie in the standings with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. These three teams have a 45-35 record, although thanks to the tie-breaker rules, the Kings are still in eighth by virtue of having a better record against Pacific Division opponents than the Warriors (both the Kings and Warriors won the season series over the Lakers, keeping them at 10th).
Alas, there will be no rest for the weary Kings. They will be facing their potential opponent in the play-in tournament, the Phoenix Suns, tomorrow night on the second of a back-to-back.
The Suns have all the incentive in the world to win out, as doing so gives them a strong chance at usurping the Pelicans for the sixth and final outright playoff spot in the West. (Phoenix will be facing Minnesota in Game 82, making their game against the Kings even more must-win.)
Meanwhile, the Kings, if they end up defeating the Suns, could still end up hosting the 7/8 play-in game, provided that they win in their final game of the season against the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix loses to Minnesota.
Can the Pelicans lock up the sixth seed out West?
The Pelicans' win over the Kings was an important one, as it gave them a one-game lead over the Suns for the sixth spot in the conference. The Suns own the tiebreaker over the Pelicans, so they will have to finish with a better record lest they find themselves fall into the play-in picture.
However, the Pelicans will have two hungry teams coming up against them in their final two games. Tomorrow night, they will be facing a Golden State Warriors team that wants to at least get two cracks at making the playoffs, and then for Game 82, they will be taking on a Los Angeles Lakers squad that's looking to do the same.
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