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Sports

Clips visit Kings in possible final game in Sacramento

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

The Los Angeles Clippers have one more chance to secure the third seed or, at the very least, home-court in the first round of the playoffs Wednesday night when the visit the Kings in what could be the last NBA game in Sacramento.

The Clippers won the Pacific Division and can sink no lower than the fourth seed in the Western Conference. If the Clippers win on Wednesday and the Denver Nuggets lose at home to the Phoenix Suns, the two teams will have matching records, but the Clippers would get the third seed by virtue of their division title.

If the Nuggets beat the Suns at home, and that is a strong possibility since the Nuggets have the best home record in the league and the Suns are the worst team in the Western Conference, then the Clippers will settle for the fourth seed.

However, if the Clippers lose on Wednesday, and the Memphis Grizzlies defeat the Utah Jazz, who are fighting for the eighth playoff spot, then L.A. will still be the fourth seed, but the fifth-seeded Grizzlies will have home-court.

"We're just trying to add them up (wins) and put ourselves in position tomorrow night to get home-court," Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro said after Tuesday's home win over the Portland Trail Blazers. "It's not going to be easy. We need to be ready to go."

The emotion in Sleep Train Arena should be remarkable.

The Kings are for sale and the NBA Board of Governors begin deliberating on Wednesday as to the future of the organization.

The Maloof brothers agreed in January to sell controlling interest in the Kings to a Seattle group led by Chris Hansen. The plan would be to relocate the team to Seattle.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former NBA All-Star, has been aggressive in trying to keep the Kings in his city. He gathered a group of investors, created a plan for a new arena and pitched the NBA to keep the team in Sacramento.

It's in the hands of the NBA Board of Governors. A vote is expected to accept Hansen's proposal, then another about relocation.

All in all, Wednesday could very well be the final NBA game in Sacramento.

On the court, the Kings have lost three straight.

The Clippers have taken two of three from the Kings this season although Sacramento won at home. The Clippers have dropped seven of their last 10 trips to California's capital.