New Orleans erased an early deficit by outscoring Sacramento 78-58 in the second and third quarters, then closed out a 132-120 win.
Sacramento took a 30-24 lead after the first quarter, but New Orleans answered with a 39-31 second and a 39-27 third to carry a 102-88 advantage into the fourth. The Pelicans held on for a 132-120 win, outscoring the Kings 78-58 across the middle quarters. Zion Williamson scored 22 on 10-of-12 shooting, adding 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals, 1 block and 3 turnovers. Jeremiah Fears also had 22 points, shooting 9-of-16 from the field and 3-of-5 from three, with 8 rebounds, 13 assists, 2 steals, 4 blocks and 3 turnovers. Trey Murphy III put up 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and no turnovers, while Herbert Jones added 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 3 turnovers. For Sacramento, Darius Acuff Jr. led all scorers with 34 points on 13-of-26 shooting, 6 rebounds, 13 assists, 2 steals, 1 block and 6 turnovers; De'Andre Hunter added 24 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-8 from three, with 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 turnovers. Precious Achiuwa scored 24 on 12-of-17 shooting and grabbed 9 rebounds, adding 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 turnover as the Kings' comeback effort fell short.
Key Performers
Zion Williamson (Pelicans): 22 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST, 5 STL, 1 BLK; 10-12 FG Jeremiah Fears (Pelicans): 22 PTS, 8 REB, 13 AST, 2 STL, 4 BLK; 9-16 FG Darius Acuff Jr. (Kings): 34 PTS, 6 REB, 13 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK; 13-26 FG
Standings Impact
New Orleans moves from the listed 1-4 record to 2-4, while Sacramento falls from 0-5 to 0-6.
DYMA Insight
New Orleans’ 78-58 second-and-third-quarter surge was the decisive edge, a striking turnaround for a team ranked 23rd in the power index against Sacramento at 30th.