Kings 119, Pelicans 111
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 16: Keon Ellis #23 of the Sacramento Kings watches his shot against the Golden State Warriors in the second half during the Play-In Tournament at Golden 1 Center on April 16, 2024 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
In their second matchup in just a handful of days, the Kings took on the Pelicans, this time in New Orleans. The Kings started the game well, specifically creating separation once Keon Ellis entered the game. He, along with the newly improved bench unit, came in and increased the early lead from the starters. Ellis quickly knocked down a couple threes, leading the Kings to an early 16 point lead. This was a pleasant surprise, considering one of the biggest issues for the Kings has been starting out games flat. The question continues to be: Why isn’t Ellis in the starting lineup? Jake Laravia and Jonas Valanciunas added hustle plays alongside Ellis to make their impact felt early on.
At the beginning of the second quarter, the lead slowly dwindled as several calls did not go in favor of the Kings. This is something Kings fans have become accustomed to over the years, especially against lengthy teams like the Pelicans. The Kings received little to no calls, whereas the refs called many touch fouls in favor of the Pelicans. Zion Williamson helped rally New Orleans back and they took a small lead. However, Ellis came back in the game and flipped things around. Without skipping a beat, he continued his hot shooting from the first quarter helping the Kings regain momentum and the lead. But by halftime, the lead for the Kings diminished to just two points, due in large part to a quick nine point flurry from Trey Murphy.
The third quarter was quite a messy one, with the Kings still struggling at times to get into a good offensive flow with the all the new players. McCollum picked things up in the third, but looked nothing like the astronomical shooter he normally has been against the Kings in recent years. Not much separated the two squads throughout the quarter until Monk hit a couple triples to give the Kings a 92-86 lead heading into the final 12 minutes of action.
In the final period of the game, Zach LaVine picked up his flow, most notably being aggressive in driving to the basket. He earned himself several free throws which helped the Kings maintain the lead throughout the fourth quarter. LaVine’s best moment came when he nailed his signature shot, a deep contested step back three. The Kings were able to hold on, earning their third straight victory.
The Kings were able to hold the Pelicans to just 8/32 shooting from three, a huge improvement compared to recent games where the opposing teams have been blazing hot from three. Sacramento also only committed a single turnover in the second half. This has been a big point of concern with the new starting five lacking a true point guard. Thankfully, the Kings addressed it themselves and began to value possession more. Valanciunas had yet another impactful game. Ever since adding the second Lithuanian to the roster, the Kings no longer have to be terrified about what will happen when Sabonis goes to the bench to rest. The Kings will look to improve their spot in the standings tomorrow night, as they face the Pelicans in a back to back, and a third game in less than a week.
Kings Scribe 
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