The New Orleans Pelicans host the Sacramento Kings Friday night in a last-ditch effort at making the NBA playoffs.
Why it matters: It's win or go home.
State of play: The winner will move on as the No. 8 seed and face the top-seed Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.
But it didn't have to be this way. The Pelicans could have clinched a guaranteed spot in the playoffs as the No. 6 seed if they won their final game of the regular season against the Los Angeles Lakers. They lost 124-108.
A couple days later they faced the Lakers in New Orleans again for a shot at the seventh spot in the play-in tournament. They lost that too along with star Zion Williamson, who injured his hamstring.
Williamson has been ruled out for Friday's crucial game against the Kings.
Reason for hope: The Pelicans won all five matchups against the Kings during the regular season including a 133-100 drubbing in Sacramento. They were without Williamson for that game and at one point led by 50.
In four of the five wins, the Pels beat the Kings by double digits with their largest margin of victory coming in November when they won by 36.