Kings reach 20 wins in fewest games since 2004-05 season after beating Jazz

Beam Team fastest Kings squad to reach 20 wins since ’04-05 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

The Kings’ 2022-23 team is more than a hype illuminated by purple lasers shot out of Golden 1 Center, it is backing it up with success on the court and something that’s been foreign in Sacramento for so long now: A winning culture.

After Sacramento’s thrilling 117-115 win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, the Kings improved to 20-16 on the season and sit at the fifth seed in the Western Conference.

Twenty wins. Sixteen losses. On Jan. 3.

It’s the fastest the Kings have reached 20 wins in a season since the 2004-05 season.

Last season, it took the Kings 55 games to get to the 20-win mark. It was Feb. 5, 2022.

This season, it took them 36 games. There are still 14 other teams in the NBA that haven’t won 20 games yet, as of Wednesday morning.

That same ’04-05 squad is the last Kings team to make a postseason appearance. That’s been the biggest goal for the Beam Team this season — snapping an NBA-record 16-year playoff drought.

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It helps that De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis have been playing at an All-Star level. And with the championship expertise of Mike Brown at the helm, along with drafting rookie forward Keegan Murray and offseason additions like Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk, the Kings seem to be in good shape.

But there’s still plenty of hoops to be played, and while the Beam has been lit 20 times so far this season, the Kings are prepared to light it a whole lot more as they push for the playoffs.