On Friday, the NBA Play-in games will continue with the Sacramento Kings on the road at the New Orleans Pelicans. This is a do-or-die game for both teams. The winner heads to the postseason as the 8th seed, and will take on Oklahoma CIty. The loser will head home for the off-season.
The Kings went 46-36 in the regular season. Sacramento was 9th in the Western Conference, but were able to beat the Warriors in the first play-in game. The Kings struggled down the stretch losing six of their final ten regular season games.
For the Pelicans, they went 49-33, which was 7th in the West. The Pelicans hosted the Los Angeles Lakers, but fell to them on Tuesday. New Orleans is 5-5 over their last 10 games.
The Pelicans are small favorites here. New Orleans is -1.5 at home.
Kings Up and Down Basketball
In the 118-94 win over Golden State, the Kings started hot. Sacramento led by 9 after one, 4 at halftime, and finished even hotter. The Kings won the third quarter by 11 and the fourth by 9. Sacramento held the Warriors to just 44 points in the second half of the season.
On the offensive side, the Kings saw all five starters score double digits. Keegan Murray was terrific, with 32 points and 9 rebounds in the game. Murray was 10 for 20 from the field. Domantas Sabonis scored 16 points and ripped down 12 rebounds, while De’Aaron Fox scored 24 points.
Sacramento as a team is scoring 116.6 points per game. That ranks 9th in the league. THe Kings are making more than 14 three point shots per game. Sacramento though has been the worst free throw shooting team in the league. The Kings are making just 74.5 from the line.
Pelicans Season on the Line
New Orleans not only lost the game, but also saw their leading scorer Zion Williamson leave the game with an injury. Williamson will not be back for the game on Friday with the injury. The former Duke star scored 40 points in the loss, and also ripped down 11 rebounds.
Another guy that has been through injuries is Brandon Ingram. Ingram scored just 11 points on 4 of 12 shooting in the loss. The Pelicans trailed by 10 at halftime, and could never recover. New Orleans on the season scored 115.1 points per game, but fell short of that in this one.
The Pelicans are fourth in three point percentage, due in large part to the ability of CJ McCollum to knock them down. McCollum is third behind Williamson and Ingram in scoring. The former Portland guard is scoring 20 points per game.
Pelicans Survive and Advance
The New Orleans Pelicans get to remain at home. Sure, they are none too happy about the loss to the Lakers, but they are ready to get back at it. The Kings have momentum on their side with a win on Tuesday.
We like the Kings, with the loss of Williamson being a big factor here. The Kings go to New Orleans and win this game. We will take the Sacramento Kings +105 on the road in this one.
