Pelicans End Winless Start With 132-120 Victory Over Kings
Jeremiah Fears recorded a career-high 13 assists as New Orleans defeated Sacramento on Thursday.
By Talia Bennett ·
The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Sacramento Kings 132-120 on Thursday to end a winless start to their season. The victory marked the first win for the Pelicans under head coach Jamahl Mosley, improving their record to 1-4. Conversely, the Kings dropped to 0-5.
Jeremiah Fears led the Pelicans with 22 points and a career-high 13 assists. He also grabbed eight rebounds. Zion Williamson contributed 22 points on 10 of 12 shooting, with all made shots occurring in the paint. Trey Murphy III added 18 points for New Orleans.
The Pelicans bench outscored the Kings reserves 41-8. This performance was notable given that New Orleans was missing Jordan Poole due to an ankle injury and Dejounte Murray due to personal reasons. Fears' playmaking was a central element of the win in the backcourt.
New Orleans took a 63-61 lead at halftime. The team extended that margin with a 16-2 run in the middle of the third quarter. Williamson scored six points and Murphy scored five during that specific stretch.
The Kings struggled with ball security, committing 25 turnovers. Darius Acuff Jr. scored a career-high 34 points and recorded 12 assists for Sacramento. Domantas Sabonis, who entered the game leading the NBA in rebounding at 16.5 per game, recorded 15 rebounds and seven assists but also turned the ball over seven times.
