NBA scores 2016: A Warriors-Kings playoffs series would be great and 3 other things we learned

If someone needs to be destroyed by the Warriors in the first round, why not the entertaining Kings? That and the rest of the action on Saturday in the NBA.

by Jeje Gomez

Jan 10, 2016, 1:00 PM UTC

Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

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There's something sad about the race for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. A team with more losses than wins will squeak into the postseason only to be destroyed by the Golden State Warriors. That's really the only possible outcome.

Since that's the case, what better foe for Golden State than the mercurial but talented Sacramento Kings, which gave them plenty of trouble on Saturday before losing 128-116.

The final score is deceptive in this case. While the Warriors were never down big, the game was close throughout. Even after they made one of their patented third-quarter runs, the Kings came back to within single digits in the fourth quarter, getting as close as down five before collapsing at the end. The upset never felt imminent but it also didn’t feel like the Warriors had the win on lock for most of the game.

While Stephen Curry -- 38 points and 11 assists -- was the player of the game, DeMarcus Cousins came close to matching him. There was nothing Andrew Bogut or Festus Ezeli could do to stop him. Cousins finished the game with 33 points and 10 rebounds, doing damage from inside and out.

Four other Kings finished in double digits as well, as Sacramento shared the ball and looked to run every chance it got, outscoring Golden State by nine points in transition. That combination of high pace basketball with a great interior scorer is something that could give the Warriors fits in the postseason, at least for a game or two.

As if the potential for some semblance of on court parity wasn’t exciting enough, there are some non-basketball related reasons to cheer for this matchup. First, Warriors fans went to Sacramento in droves to support their team and made plenty of noise. Kings fans were notoriously rowdy when their team was relevant. If they manage to make the playoffs, we could see the cowbells return as the two fan bases look to outdo each other.

There's also the clash of big personalities that could arise. Who knows what could happen if Rajon Rondo, Draymond Green, Andrew Bogut and DeMarcus Cousins face each other at least four times in a short amount of time. Throw in George Karl to the mix and it could be explosive. We might even get a family feud between Stephen Curry and his brother Seth.

The reality is the Warriors are likely going to destroy whoever they face in the first round. At best, their opponent will be able to hang for a couple of quarters before not being able to keep up, just like it happened with the Pelicans last season. So why not root for a series that presents some matchup trouble for Golden State which also has some off court ingredients that could make it more interesting?

Give us Warriors-Kings in the playoffs, Basketball Gods. We deserve it.

3 other things we learned

The Griffin-less Clippers keep winning

The Clippers dominated the second half in their matchup against the Hornets in Los Angeles to get their eighth straight win. It's the longest active streak in the NBA and it propelled them to a 24-13 record that solidifies their spot as the West's fourth best team. Yet the most impressive thing about the streak is that seven of those wins have come without Blake Griffin in the active roster.

Chris Paul, J.J. Redick and DeAndre Jordan have all stepped up to make up for the All-Star power forward's absence while Paul Pierce and Wesley Johnson are giving the team quality minutes in Griffin's stead. It's not the first time that one of the Clippers' stars missing games hasn't had negative repercussions, which suggests that playing all three of Paul, Griffin and Jordan together is not necessary for the success of some lineups.

Griffin will obviously return to his starting spot as soon as he's healthy but it will be interesting to see if Doc Rivers decides to play him more with bench units, to give them an offensive punch.

It’s impossible to know which is the East’s second best team

The Bulls entered Saturday night riding high on a six-game win streak but they were no match for the Hawks, who beat them 120-105. Al Horford absolutely dominated inside, finishing with 33 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks and the Hawks' bench outplayed the Bulls.

There are now four teams that are separated by a half-game for the second-best record in the conference. The Bulls, which are still holding on to that second seed, were looking like the biggest threat to the Cavaliers, but potential challengers have appeared and been brought down time and time again this season. It's been a running theme. We are now two and a half months into the season and it remains unclear which team -- if any -- can be consistent enough to give Cleveland a real challenge.

The Jazz are not giving up the eighth seed in the West without a fight

The Jazz are the NBA equivalent of the Black Knight from Monthy Python and the Holy Grail. Injuries have ravaged them but they continue to fight, no matter how shorthanded. On Saturday they edged out the Heat 93-81 in Salt Lake City to climb to 16-20 for the season in Gobert's second game since returning from a knee injury.

With Hood and Favors still out, Gordon Hayward stepped up and carried the offense with 34 points. It was far from a great performance as a team but it keeps them two games away from the Kings for the eighth seed. Other teams would realize that they have no shot of making it past the first round and tank. Not the Jazz. They only care about making the playoffs and will continue to go after that goal, no matter how bad things get.