SACRAMENTO, CA – MARCH 19: Maxime Raynaud #42 of the Sacramento Kings drives to the basket during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 19, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Almost got it. The Brooklyn Nets gave the New York Knicks all they could handle, but ultimately fell short by one point, 93-92. The losing streak is up to six.
The opponent tonight is praying for some lottery luck. The Sacramento Kings have had a rough season but hope things turn around in the NBA Draft this April. They’ve been off since Thursday after losing to the Philadelphia 76ers 139-118.
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Where to follow the game
YES Network on TV. Gotham Sports on streaming. WFAN on radio. Tip after 6 PM.
🤕 Injuries
The following are out:
The following are out:
This the last game on Malachi Smith’s initial 10-day contract. Nets can simply let the contract expire, extend him another 10 days, essentially till season’s end ,
🏀 The game
This is the first meeting between the teams this season.
First night of a back-to-back for the Nets. They fly north to face the Portland Trailblazers tomorrow night.
I know what y’all want. I know what y’all need.
So we’ve got two teams that are racing to finish this season and get to the real season. Before we get there, we’re going to be subjected to some more ugly basketball to watch. For both of these trying to accomplish the big goal (a high draft pick) while also completing the small one (development of young players), it makes for a frustrating dynamic. Pooch wrote about it recently:
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“The irony, of course, is that under the current system, math doesn’t even guarantee a miracle. Even if the Nets manage to secure one of the three worst records in the league, they are only rewarded with a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick. The league has created a system where teams are forced to torch their culture and disrespect their fans for a reward that is statistically unlikely to actually happen.“
Over at The Kings Herald, Akis Yerocostas is feeling the same way:
I knew the schedule was going to ease up for the Kings here but at this point in the season these wins are more annoying than anything else. It sucks that the league is structured in such a way that I can’t be happy when my team is winning, but I am finding very little joy in these recent victories, because in my mind, they’re just costing themselves opportunities for a higher draft pick. Yes, nothing is a guarantee, and yes no matter what the Kings will likely have an excellent shot at landing a top 4 pick. But winning makes those chances go down and the number one rule of being a Kings fan is basically to embrace the worst case possibility happening, which as of now would mean the Kings fall to the 8th pick.
It would be much better for the Kings to suck extremely hard for a short while than just be kinda bad for a long time like we just experienced during that recent playoff drought. I don’t blame the players for trying their hardest, and some guys are really balling out right now (shout out Precious Achiuwa). But I just can’t find myself enjoying these wins (although I do crack a small smile at the young guys putting on sun glasses and styling themselves as the Beam Boys). Hopefully the ping pong balls bless us and we can turn this around sooner rather than later so we don’t have to go through this for too long.
We’ll be spinning our wheels until the Draft Lottery.
But until then, we hold on to the small, yet meaningful moments. Over to you, Josh Minott:
Yeah, keep him around next year.
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Nolan Traore will look to cut down on the turnovers. He’s coughed it up ten times in the past two games, and for a Nets team that is shorthanded and missing out on scorers, they have to take better care of the ball. If they don’t, it makes winning even more difficult.
👀 Player to watch: Maxime Raynaud
Maxime Raynuad has been a revelation. Since entering the starting lineup on February 6, the French rookie is averaging close to 17 points and nine rebounds on 59.7 percent shooting from the field. March is all for finding who your future prospects will be, and maybe Sacramento has something here with Raynaud.
Danny Wolf will get another start and another opportunity to make the most of his minutes. He’ll have all the opportunity in the world tonight and with Brooklyn even more shorthanded in the frontcourt, Jordi Fernandez will count on him a little bit more.
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📺 From the Vault
Salute to the legendary Howie Rose
More reading: The Kings Herald, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Steve’s Newsletter