[Izulde]

In the midst of a battle for the #1 seed, you'd think I'd feel a sense of urgency and worry, but I don't. I just have this strange feeling of calm, probably because we can do no worse than the #2 seed.

Our first of the last eight is a 95-87 slugfest victory over the Timberwolves, David Anyan carrying us on his back with 21 points.

Seattle's next in our tour of Northwest teams and we clobber them 120-94. David Anyan does it again, scoring 29, while Terrence Howard scores 24, Jim Johnson bangs in 13 points and 10 rebounds and Nigel Abel and Mike Vines each score 11 off the bench.

Our reserves shoot us in the foot by building a brickhouse in a 108-101 loss to the Traiblazers. Amazing game by Sonny Boxler with 19 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 6 blocks and a steal, but we throw away David Anyan's 27 points and 10 rebounds, Jim Johnson's 16 points and 13 rebounds and William Tackett's 24 points. I suppose Mike Vines deserves credit for 12 bench boards, but the second team was awful from the floor.

Nigel Abel bursts off the bench for 24 points and Terrence Howard nabs 18 points and 12 rebounds to enable us to beat the Lakers 111-101. I'd also be criminal if I failed to point out Mateen Yeaton's 14 bench points.

3-1 is a nice way to go in the first half of the final eight, but we've got a key road doubleheader next, the back end in Phoenix. We clobber the Lakers 111-99 on Ray Fields's 23 points and 10 assists, William Tackett's 20 points, Terrence Howard's poor 10 point, 10 rebound double and Mike Vines's 17 bench points. Then we blow a fourth quarter lead against the Suns and lose by one bloody point, 118-117. Ray Fields was lights out with 27 points and 14 assists, William Tackett scored 29, Terrence Howard had 20 points and 10 rebounds and David Anyan scored 22. Had our bench played better, we would've won the game.

We really, really needed that win because the loss not only tied us for the Suns for the #1 seed, but I think it gives them the tiebreaker edge as well. Still, we beat the Jazz 108-101 in the second to last game of the year as all five Kings starters score 16 or better, ignited by Ray Fields and David Anyan with 23 and 22 points a piece.

This sets up the winner-take-all match with Phoenix in the last game of the regular season. It's at home in front of our fans and I believe whoever wins, gets the #1 seed. And despite shooting just 39.3%, we win an epic defensive battle 93-91 to clinch the #1 seed for the second year in a row, rallying from a 10-point halftime deficit. Terrence Howard was a beast down low with 28 points and 21 rebounds, David Anyan his steady second with 21 points.

West Conference Seedings
1. Sacramento Kings (64-18)
2. Phoenix Suns (62-20)
3. Seattle Supersonics (50-32)
4. Dallas Mavericks (50-32)
5. New Orleans Hornets (43-39)
6. Minnesota Timberwolves (42-40)
7. Denver Nuggets (41-41)
8. Los Angeles Clippers (40-42)

The execs are disappointed that their dream matchup of Nuggets/Kings doesn't happen and nobody more's concerned about it than the Suns. Sacramento and Denver were the two hottest teams over the second half of the season and nobody wants to play us or the Nuggets in the playoffs.

East Conference Seedings
1. Boston Celtics (64-18)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (51-31)
3. Atlanta Hawks (50-32)
4. Toronto Raptors (50-32)
5. Chicago Bulls (47-35)
6. Indiana Pacers (47-35)
7. Washington Wizards (44-38)
8. Charlotte Bobcats (41-41)

All the teams look pretty even to me in the East despite Boston's record. They're going crazy in the Hoosier state as it's the first time the Pacers have been in the postseason since 2016, when they were 43-39 and a #8 seed. That's a 10 year drought that just got squashed.

Too tired to do the leaders. After the first round.