Never before has a showdown between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Sacramento Kings held such significance.
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Never before has a showdown between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Sacramento Kings held such significance. The third-seeded New Orleans squad is set to clash with the second-seeded Sacramento team on Monday night in the Western quarterfinals of the NBA’s in-season tournament.
The triumphant team will progress to the tournament’s semifinals in Las Vegas on Thursday. Meanwhile, in the other quarterfinal clash in the West, the Los Angeles Lakers are set to face off against the Phoenix Suns. Sacramento secured an impressive 4-0 record, emerging victorious in West Group C. On the other hand, the Pelicans clinched the top spot in West Group B with a solid 3-1 performance.
In encounters this season, the Pelicans boast a perfect 2-0 record against the Kings, securing consecutive victories last month in New Orleans with margins of 36 and five points, respectively. Sacramento faced challenges in containing the offensive prowess of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, as the Pelicans averaged 123 points in their two triumphant outings.
New Orleans anticipates the availability of guard CJ McCollum on Monday, as he was absent from the trip to Chicago due to a recent lung issue. Making a comeback on Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers, McCollum showcased an impressive performance, averaging 19.5 points over two games, the second of which was against the Spurs.
Shooting guard Trey Murphy III is also set to take the court. After undergoing knee surgery, he made his season debut on Friday, delivering an outstanding performance with 18 points in just 22 minutes against the Spurs. However, he was rested on Saturday.
Ahead of the upcoming showdown, Sacramento prepared by securing a 123-117 victory over the reigning champion Nuggets on Saturday. De’Aaron Fox played a pivotal role, contributing 26 points and delivering a career-best performance with 16 assists while committing just one turnover in 38 minutes. Malik Monk also played a significant part, scoring 26 points. The dynamic duo of Monk and Fox proved lethal in the final quarter, with Monk contributing 11 points and Fox adding 10 points and five assists during that period.
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