Despite the New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson’s (1) ability to reach over Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) Fox led in scoring with 38 points in the Kings victory at Smoothie King Arena in New Orleans on Mon Feb 1, 2021 (AP News photo)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
The Sacramento Kings were set to play the final game of their road trip. However, before we talk about the Kings latest contest let’s talk about how they fared last.
The Kings lost their most recent game on Saturday night. The Kings took on the Miami heat in Miami but weren’t able to secure the win. Neither team scored a lot of points in the contest and it proved costly for the Kings. So, the Kings set their sights on the New Orleans Pelicans to finish off the road trip at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
The Pelicans came into Monday nights game with a record of 7-11. The Kings had a record slightly better at 8-11. The game was set to be a contest of two teams rally searching for their identities. Neither team has really been able to gauge what they are the rest of the season so far. The contest was set for 5 PM PST in New Orleans. The Kings would hold off the Pelicans for a nine point victory 118-109.
In the first half, the Kings played well but were outplayed by the Pelicans. The Kings were out scored by the Pelicans 33-30 in the first quarter as neither team was playing much defense. In the second quarter, the Kings were outscored again 30-29. The Kings defense was struggling as the Pelicans were on pace for over 120 points. It was going to be imperative for the Kings to limit the Pelicans on the offensive end. The Kings went into halftime trailing 62-60.
In the second half, the Kings didn’t start out very strong. The Kings were out scored 32-27 in the third quarter to further out themselves in a deficit they would need to overcome. Heading into the final quarter, the Kings trailed 94-87. In the final 12 minutes, the Kings played some great basketball.
The Kings managed to score 31 points while holding the Pelicans to 15 points. They erased the seven point deficit and won the game by nine points. De’Aaron Fox continued what seems to be the new normal with him by scoring 38 points in the game. Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans in defeat with 20 points. This was a great win for the Kings coming from behind in the final quarter. The Kings will look to build on this in their next game.
Up Next: The Kings travel home to face the Boston Celtics on Wednesday at 7 PM PST.
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