The Pelicans are in a tricky situation with 3 games remaining. Entering tonight’s game, they hold just a half game edge on the Phoenix Suns in 6th place of the West standings. The injury situation hasn’t been kind to them with Brandon Ingram being out for a while now, but thankfully the match-up with the Kings is a favorable one. These two teams have faced each other 4 times already this season due to the in-season tournament, New Orleans has triumphed in all 4 of them by an average of 21 points per game. This has been one of the more lopsided rivalries in the NBA this season, but when it comes to a one-off type of game you can’t really rely solely on previous meetings. The Pels have covered just once in 6 games overall and have 2 wins over that stretch.
This is pretty much a must-win game for Sacramento, the Lakers are just 0.5 games behind for the 8th seed in the West. After this game the Kings face the Suns, which will be another tough game for them. When times are tough, then the superstars come out to play. De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis will both have to step up their games if the Kings want to turn around their recent run of just 1 win in 4 games. Fox has been shut down by the Pels in the 4 meetings this season, averaging just 18.3 points per game on under 36% shooting. I’m looking at Sabonis here, his battle down low with Zion Williamson could very well determine the Kings season in this game. He’s averaging a solid 19 points on 65% shooting in 4 games vs the Pels this year.
