In their first attempt to secure a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament, the New Orleans Pelicans were unsuccessful.
They’ll attempt to return from only their second misfortune in nine games when they have the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.
After scoring 40 points in the second quarter, Sacramento (40-39) took control of the game against New Orleans.
Before the Kings started making 3-pointers, the Pelicans took a 14-4 lead, and New Orleans was unable to keep up. From beyond the arc, the Kings made 17 of 42 shots, while the Pelicans made 7 of 20.
Brandon Ingram drove New Orleans with 22 places, however that finished a dash of nine back to back games where he had scored something like 25. When he scored 14 points in the first quarter, he appeared to be on track to extend the streak, which saw him score 30.3 points per game on average.
However, the Pelicans’ offense stalled as the Kings began to swarm him with multiple defenders.
An update on All-Star forward Zion Williamson, who hasn’t played since January 2 due to a strained right hamstring, is expected from New Orleans on Wednesday. Last week, he was granted permission to resume basketball activities.
Williamson’s availability on Wednesday is unlikely, but the Pelicans haven’t ruled out his return before Sunday’s regular season finale.
The Grizzlies (50-29) are almost gotten into the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference after defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 119-109 in Memphis’ home finale on Tuesday. With three games remaining, the Grizzlies lead Sacramento, which is in third place, by two games.
Getting to 51 may be all the more a test with Ja Morant (hip) and Luke Kennard (lower leg) recorded as dicey after Wednesday’s shootaround.
Tuesday’s game saw the Grizzlies come back from a 19-point first-quarter deficit, but in between, they saw the Blazers, who were shorthanded, win. Portland pulled within 66-62 at halftime after outscoring Memphis 37-25 in the second quarter.
With nine minutes remaining, the Blazers held a 101-96 lead, but Memphis went on a 22-2 run after Desmond Bane hit three 3-pointers.
Memphis has a 2-1 advantage over New Orleans in the series. Each game has been won by the home team.
