New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sacramento Kings: Another Must-Win
By Tim Burke
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sacramento Kings Preview.
Previous Matchup
These teams only played one game this season and it was a tight contest that came down to a buzzer-beater.
Game 1 – 1/4/20, New Orleans 117 – Sacramento 115
Just after we rolled into the year that will be remembered for the rest of our lives, we saw the only matchup between the teams. New Orleans was hot, going 5-2 in their last seven games, all which came after the Pelicans finally snapped their 13-game losing streak that dragged them to the bottom of the Western Conference.
Both teams relied on their starters more than they would in a typical game. Josh Hart was the only bench player for either team to score double-digits. Harrison Barnes led the way for Sacramento, scoring 30 points on 9-12 shooting including hitting both of his threes.
Each New Orleans Pelicans’ starter went for double-digits and scored at least 13 points, with both Derrick Favors and Lonzo Ball putting up double-doubles. That committee approach is key to the Pels’ offense if one player is having an off game they still have enough options to get buckets.
Even though the Kings were undersized in this game, they still managed to out-rebound the Pels, 51 to 44. New Orleans should fare better in this department if Zion is close to the version we saw towards the beginning of March. Since he debuted the Pelicans have been a much better rebounding team.
If the Pels can limit the turnovers, they will put themselves in a much better position to take advantage of their strengths offensively.