As the All-Star break looms, the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans are set to face off for the second consecutive night in New Orleans. This game marks the pre-break finale for both teams.
Sacramento Kings: The Kings are showing significant progress in the Western Conference standings, winning three straight games – two of them against the Pelicans. Sacramento secured a 119-111 victory in New Orleans on Wednesday, following a 123-118 home win against the Pelicans on Saturday. Sandwiched between these games, the Kings eked out a 129-128 overtime win against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
Sacramento, which retooled its roster at the trade deadline last week, added another player postgame on Wednesday by signing free agent Markelle Fultz for the remainder of the season. This addition strengthens their depth at point guard after dealing De’Aaron Fox on February 3.
Despite the roster changes, the Kings looked sharp on Wednesday, with four starters scoring in double figures. Keon Ellis came off the bench to lead the team with 27 points. Newcomers Zach LaVine, Jonas Valanciunas, and Jake LaRavia are still getting acclimated but are expected to integrate more fully after the All-Star break.
Notable performances included DeMar DeRozan scoring 24 points, LaVine contributing 23 points and seven assists, and mainstay Domantas Sabonis recording 16 points and 15 rebounds.
Sacramento will aim for a four-game sweep of the season series against the Pelicans on Thursday.
New Orleans Pelicans: The Pelicans are enduring one of their worst stretches in a challenging season, currently holding the worst record in the Western Conference. They have lost their past 10 games, and another defeat against the Kings on Thursday would extend this skid to match their longest of the season.
Zion Williamson, who has played in just 18 of the Pelicans’ 54 games due to a hamstring injury and load management, has been in top form recently. He posted a season-high 40 points on Saturday and a game-high 33 points on Tuesday. Williamson has played the past four games in a row but has not participated in back-to-back games since October.
Backup point guard Jose Alvarado had a significant impact on Wednesday, making just his 10th start of the season but his third straight. He scored 18 points and tied his season high with nine assists in 32 minutes.
The Pelicans are hoping to end their losing streak and gain some momentum heading into the All-Star break.
