On Wednesday, the Sacramento Kings finished a five-game road trip with an upset win over the Toronto Raptors after losing each of the first four games of the trip. By avoiding the road trip sweep, the Kings may have hurt their chances at the top spot in the NBA Draft lottery, but they have at least reached the 20-win mark, which would have made the season ultra depressing if they had fallen short.
Now, the Kings have just five games left in the regular season, and while everyone in the organization has likely been ready for the offseason for weeks, they will likely try to end their 2025-26 campaign on a high note.
It is clear that the Kings are not tanking, and if they are, they are failing at it. They have a 6-7 record in their last 13 games, but they have an interesting slew of games to close out the season that could shake things up. Here are my predictions for how their final five games of the season will go:
4/2 vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Many Sacramento fans are still haunted by the Pelicans’ 6-0 sweep of the Kings in the 2023-24 season, including a play-in tournament game that crushed their playoff hopes. After returning the favor with a 3-1 season series win last season, the Kings have fallen back into the Pelicans’ laps this season.
The Pelicans have already beaten the Kings twice this season by a combined 36 points, and Sacramento will need a win in this game to avoid another series sweep. However, they should be confident that they can keep up.
The Pelicans are on an active five-game losing streak, and after being eliminated from playoff contention with no first-round pick of their own, they are practically playing for nothing at this point. It is hard to motivate a group with that feeling, but Doug Christie has managed to rally the Kings at times. They will likely show up for this game, but, spoiler alert, it might be their last win of the season.
Result: Kings win
4/5 vs. LA Clippers
The Kings’ final four games of the season are a very challenging stretch, but they have shown they are capable of pulling off a surprising upset. However, this matchup against the Clippers is likely not one of those times.
The Kings already upset the Clippers in their last meeting thanks to an incredible effort from Precious Achiuwa, DeMar DeRozan, and Maxime Raynaud, but it will be tough to repeat that result. With the Clippers trying to do what they can to avoid falling to ninth place in the West, the Kings will not be able to catch them off guard again.
Result: Kings loss
4/7 at Golden State Warriors
By this point in the season, the Warriors are expected to have star guard Steph Curry back from an extended injury absence. With a semi-healthy Warriors squad, led by Curry, they will certainly give the Kings some trouble.
The Kings and Warriors have split their season series 1-1 so far, but it will be hard for Sacramento to battle with them in these next two matchups. However, even with Curry in the lineup, this Warriors team is not very dominant, so counting out the Kings before tip-off would be silly.
It is plausible for the Kings and Warriors to split their next two games, but things will certainly be in Golden State’s favor down the stretch, especially for this matchup in Chase Center.
Result: Kings loss
4/10 vs. Golden State Warriors
After two days of rest, the Kings and Warriors will have a quick rematch, this time in Sacramento. This one could certainly go a number of ways, but again, with Curry expected to be in the Warriors’ lineup, it is hard to pick the Kings in this spot.
It will be great to see the Kings’ young core be put to the test against the Warriors twice at this point in the season. If they are playing defense and knocking down their shots, they undoubtedly are capable of winning either of these games. While I think they will play the Warriors closer than many would expect, they might fall just short.
Result: Kings loss
4/12 at Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers have already beaten the Kings in each of their three meetings this season, but this matchup has a couple of factors that could determine what happens. The season finale is always interesting, because it either feels like the most important game of the season, or the result could not matter any less.
Will the Blazers already know their seed in the play-in tournament? Will the Kings already know their spot in the draft lottery? Either team could be in a position to sit their veterans for this game, especially if the Kings need a loss to jump up in the lottery. Regardless, the Blazers have had the Kings’ number this season, and that is unlikely to change at this stage.
However, the Kings have played the Blazers very close in each of their three games, with the largest margin of defeat coming by seven points. While this game could be close, the Blazers will likely end their regular season on a high note, while the Kings ending with a loss would perfectly sum up their 2025-26 campaign.
