Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram Again Lead Pelicans Over Kings

The Pelicans end their home stand on a high note with victory over Kings.

New Orleans, LA - The New Orleans Pelicans ended their six-game home stand with a 117-112 victory over the Sacramento Kings. The victory pushes the Pels over .500 for the season before they embark on a West Coast road trip. New Orleans is now 2-0 against the Kings after losing two of three last season.

Coach Willie Green told reporters pregame the mindset New Orleans needed to have, knowing Sacramento would come out with tons of energy after the result Monday night. The Kings did just that, starting the game on a 19-11 run and knocking down 5/8 three-point shots. Brandon Ingram picked up two early fouls, going to the bench five minutes into the game. 

The New Orleans bench got them back in the game after they executed a 12-0 run after Zion Williamson went to the bench. The Pels' bench outscored the Kings 9-2 in the first quarter, and New Orleans led 32-30 after the first period. Domantas Sabonis led all scorers with 10 points, matching his entire point total Monday night.

In the second quarter, the Pelicans pounded the rock on the inside and dominated the paint. New Orleans outscored Sacramento 34-12 in the paint and was a +7 in rebounding. Zion Williamson scored eight points in the quarter, finishing with a team-high 17-point half. New Orleans forced ten turnovers, leading to 14 points. The Pelicans held a 64-50 at halftime.

Nov 22, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) dribbles against Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the second half at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The third quarter was a stalemate, with each team scoring 29 points. De'Aaaron Fox started to get going in the quarter. The New Orleans native scored 9 points in the quarter, while his teammate Harrison Barnes scored 12 points to lead the Kings. Jonas Valanciunas scored 10 points while Brandon Ingram was in foul trouble and had to go to the bench. New Orleans lead remained at 14 points heading into the fourth quarter.

Sacramento started the fourth quarter on an 18-4 run, tying the ballgame and making the Smoothie King Center faithful nervous. The back-and-forth affair continued much of the quarter, with New Orleans unable to pull away from the Kings. Brandon Ingram hit a midrange jumper with 1:36 left to give New Orleans a 113-108 lead. 

The Kings cut the lead to three again, but Ingram sealed the game with a driving layup with 16 seconds to go. New Orleans dominated the paint, outscoring the Kings 62-28. They shot just 23% from three-point range, but the dominance inside was enough to overcome a bad shooting night.

Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 25 points on 10/16 shooting. De'Aaron Fox had 26 points as the high-point man for the Kings. New Orleans finishes the homestand 4-2 and now travels to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers in Los Angeles on Friday night.