Just like the last 14 years, the Sacramento Kings are playing out the string as they approach the end of their season. The Kings had a golden opportunity to be in position to make some noise in the chase for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, but instead choked away a 114-110 overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
Sacramento still has a mathematical chance being two games out of the ninth seed, but it will need to leap frog four teams just to qualify for the play-in tournament, and one of those squads is the New Orleans Pelicans.