Kings Vs Warriors

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Warriors' Championship Hopes Dwindle After Game 1 Loss to Kings

Western Playoff Showdown Heats Up

Golden State Faces Play-In Elimination

The Golden State Warriors' pursuit of a seventh NBA championship in nine seasons hit a major setback on Wednesday after a 126-123 loss to the Sacramento Kings in Game 1 of their Western Conference Play-In series.

The Warriors, who finished the regular season with the worst record among the 10 teams in the Western Play-In, now face the daunting task of winning two consecutive elimination games to advance to the playoffs.

The Kings, on the other hand, are one win away from securing a playoff berth for the first time since 2006. They will host Game 2 of the series on Friday, and a victory would send them to New Orleans to face the Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs.

The Warriors led by 11 points early in the fourth quarter, but the Kings rallied back to tie the game with a three-pointer by De'Aaron Fox with less than two minutes remaining. Domantas Sabonis then gave the Kings the lead for good with a layup with 41.5 seconds left, and the Warriors failed to score on their final two possessions.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 27 points, while Klay Thompson added 26 points. Fox led the Kings with 36 points, while Sabonis had 22 points and 14 rebounds.