The Kings and Warriors are set to square off in Game 7 of their first-round playoff matchup on Sunday, but Charles Barkley is already looking well beyond that in regards to this Sacramento squad.
On Saturday, Barkley revealed his latest bold prediction about the Kings. The 60-year-old suggested Sacramento would not only take care of business at home against Golden State on Sunday, but also defeat the Lakers in the semifinals.
“The Sacramento Kings are going to the conference finals,” Barkley said. “They’re gonna beat the Lakers.”
After a big win on the road in Game 6, the Kings have the chance to close out the series against the Warriors at the Golden 1 Center. And Barkley is backing De’Aaron Fox and Co. to do exactly that, and some.
Charles Barkley says the Kings are going to the Conference Finals. 👀
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 30, 2023
The Kings are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2006, snapping the longest postseason drought among the four major U.S. professional sports leagues.
The Kings were the better team throughout the regular season, ending the campaign as the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed. Despite their inexperience on the postseason stage, Barkley expects them to handle Stephen Curry and the Warriors on Sunday and win the subsequent series against LeBron James and Los Angeles, too.
The Kings haven’t been to the Western Conference finals since 2002, when they were defeated by the Lakers, but Barkley is backing this year’s team to equal that run and forcefully bring the long-suffering franchise out of the doldrums.
