Sacramento Kings vs San Antonio Spurs Picks and Predictions March 7th 2025

Kings Look to Stay in Playoff Hunt as They Host Spurs

The Sacramento Kings will look to strengthen their playoff positioning when they host the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night in a critical Western Conference matchup.

Kings Fighting for Playoff Spot Amid Key Injuries

At 32-29, the Kings currently sit in ninth place in the West, just 1.5 games away from escaping the Play-In Tournament.

Sacramento returns home after a four-game road trip, where it won three of four games before falling 116-110 at Denver on Wednesday.

The Kings led by nine points entering the fourth quarter, but couldn’t hold on despite a 35-point explosion from DeMar DeRozan and strong performances from Zach LaVine (20 points) and Jonas Valanciunas (19 points, 13 rebounds).

Interim head coach Doug Christie acknowledged that the Kings are still adjusting to their midseason roster changes, but knows there are no excuses at this point in the season.

“We can keep saying that ‘we have a lot of new guys’ and that we are still trying to find our way, but that excuse is one that no one checks for you in this league,” Christie said. “People just run through you, beat the hell out of you, no matter what the excuse is.

“(We need to) take care of the basketball, play together, move the rock — if you do that, you have an opportunity to win.”

Sacramento has been playing well despite injuries, winning four of its last five games. However, star center Domantas Sabonis remains out with a hamstring injury, and Malik Monk’s status remains uncertain after missing Wednesday’s game with a right toe sprain.

Spurs Adjusting to Life Without Wembanyama

The Spurs (26-34) currently sit in 13th place in the West, 4.5 games below the Play-In line, making their postseason hopes slim.

San Antonio is coming off a 127-113 home win over Brooklyn on Tuesday, its second victory in the past three games.

Devin Vassell had a career night, sinking eight three-pointers on his way to a career-high 37 points. The Spurs extended a five-point halftime lead to 19 points entering the final quarter, taking control late.

“I’m in my fifth year in the league and the more aggressive I am, not even just to score but just to make plays, the better we are playing,” Vassell said. “So just got to stay with it. I appreciate that my coaches and my teammates were just encouraging me.”

San Antonio also received strong contributions from Stephon Castle (17 points), Keldon Johnson (15 points), and Bismack Biyombo (13 points, 14 rebounds).

Friday’s game marks the start of a two-game road trip for the Spurs, which concludes Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

De’Aaron Fox Returns to Sacramento After Trade

One of the biggest storylines heading into the game is De’Aaron Fox’s first return to Sacramento since he was traded to San Antonio in early February.

Fox spent seven-plus seasons with the Kings before the deal, making his transition to San Antonio a significant change.

Fox admitted Thursday that he initially had concerns about switching teams and moving across the country, but said the opportunity with the Spurs has been rewarding.

“I was just excited to be able to be in this position,” Fox told The Athletic. “Obviously, a lot of these (Spurs) are young, but I think they’re very talented, so it was definitely exciting.”

Fox also revealed that he will need offseason surgery to repair a dislocated finger on his shooting hand, though he expects to play through the injury for the remainder of the season.

“At some point, I’m going to have to get (surgery), but we’ll see where we are before that comes,” Fox said.

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What’s at Stake?

For Sacramento, a win would move them closer to avoiding the NBA Play-In Tournament and secure some much-needed momentum heading into the final stretch of the season.

For San Antonio, the focus is on development and growth, but they would love nothing more than to play spoiler and disrupt the Kings’ playoff push.

With playoff implications for Sacramento and Fox’s return to his former team, expect an emotional and high-energy battle in Sacramento.