Kings demolish Blazers 120-80 to clinch playoff spot

The Sacramento Kings thrashed the Portland Trail Blazers 120-80 to secure a playoff place for the first time since 2006 on Wednesday night.

𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐒 🔦🟣

The Kings have clinched a spot in the #NBAPlayoffs! #BeamTeam | @dialpad pic.twitter.com/RrChLgnFQc

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) March 30, 2023

De’Aron Fox scored 18 points, while Kevin Huerter had 17. The rookie Keegan Murray broke Donovan Mitchell’s record of 187 3-pointers set in 2017-18 season, as he bagged his 188th 3-pointer with 6:44 remaining in the third period. He had 13 points in total.

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The Kings sit third in the Western Conference, behind Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies, who already secured a playoff spot.

For the Blazers, who were without key figures such as Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkic, Anfernee Simons and Jeremi Grant, the rookie Shaedon Sharpe scored 30 points. The defeat, fourth in a row and tenth out of their last 11 games, puts them out of contention for a playoff place.

Kings, on the other hand, break a 16-year drought without qualifying in the playoffs, the longest in NBA history and also the longest active postseason dry spell across teams in NBA, NHL, NFL and MLB.

“I think every experience that we’ve gone through this year can help translate (to the playoffs),” Kings coach Mike Brown said.

“But I’m telling you, we’ll experience it in the playoffs at another level. And every round you advance in the playoffs, it’s going to even take it up another notch.”