Kings vs. Warriors: What to know about the Play-In matchup

(FOX40.COM) — The Sacramento Kings are hosting the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Play-In Tournament on Tuesday night. 

The game is a rematch of last year’s thrilling first-round playoff series, which resulted in the Warriors winning in seven games.

Sacramento is the ninth seed of the Western Conference while Golden State finished 10th in the Western Conference standings.

The Kings and Warriors finished with the same record at the end of the regular season at 46-36, but Sacramento owned the tiebreaker over Golden State. 

Here’s everything you need to know about Tuesday’s matchup at the Golden 1 Center. 

Win or go home

The loser of the game is eliminated from playoff contention while the winner stays in the hunt for the final playoff spot.

The No. 7-No. 8 contest is between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Los Angeles Lakers and will be played before the Kings-Warriors matchup. The winner of that game takes the seventh slot.

The winner of the No. 9-No. 10 matchup moves to play for the eighth and final seed of the Western Conference against the loser of the No. 7-No. 8 game.

Either the Kings or Warriors will be the road team in the eighth-seed game due to the Pelicans and Lakers having a better ranking. The team that wins the eighth seed sets up a best-of-seven series against the Western Conference’s top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. 

History between the Northern California rivals

Last year’s first-round series between the Northern California teams was an entertaining one for basketball fans. 

In the Kings’ first playoff appearance in 17 years, Sacramento took a 2-0 lead, winning the first two games at home. With Games 3 and 4 in San Francisco, the Warriors used their homecourt advantage to tie the series. 

Both teams won on the road in Games 5 and 6, setting up a decisive Game 7 at the Golden 1 Center. The Warriors beat the Kings 120-110 in Game 7 behind a playoff-career-high 50 points from Stephen Curry.

The 2023-24 season series finished in a 2-2 split with three of the four games resulting in one-point victories. 

2023-24 season series results

•Oct. 27: Golden State 122, Sacramento 114
•Nov. 1: Golden State 102, Sacramento 101
•Nov. 28: Sacramento 124, Golden State 123 (In-Season Tournament Group Play)
•Jan. 25: Sacramento 134, Golden State 123

Where to buy tickets

Tickets for the Play-In game became available Monday, but getting inside the Golden 1 Center won’t be cheap, especially in the lower level.

As of Monday afternoon, tickets before taxes and fees in the lower level range start at over $400 and increase to over $3,000 for seats near courtside, according to Ticketmaster.

Upper-level tickets are cheaper with prices starting at $99 and going up over $250 before taxes and fees. 

Watch parties

Those who don’t want to pay for tickets but want to watch the game with fellow Kings fans can do so at the following watch parties. 

Tipsy Putt

Tipsy Putt, located next to the Golden 1 Center, is hosting a watch party for the Play-In game and further games if the Kings’ season continues. 

Management of Tipsy Putt said all Kings games will be shown on every TV with sound, along with exclusive drink specials including the Light The Beam cocktail. 

Tom’s Watch Bar

Across from the Golden 1 Center will be another watch party at Tom’s Watch Bar. According to the business’ Instagram, there will be giveaways and a live emcee.