Zion Williamson scored 23 points, six teammates chipped in with double-digit point totals and the visiting New Orleans used a big third quarter to distance themselves from the Sacramento Kings en route to a 133-123 victory on Thursday.
Trey Murphy III had 21 points and Saddiq Bey 20 for the Pelicans, who ended a two-game losing streak and became a 20-game winner for the season.
Precious Achiuwa equaled his career best with a game-high 29 points for the Kings, who became the league’s first 50-game loser this season with a third consecutive setback.
The Kings led twice in the third quarter, a final time when Achiuwa made 1 of 2 free throws for an 81-80 advantage just past the midpoint of the period. The Pelicans then took charge for good with a 25-point flurry over the final 5:44 of the quarter to take a 14-point lead into the fourth period.
Bey had a pair of 3-pointers and a dunk in a 15-0 blitz that began that stretch. When Karlo Matkovic slammed home an alley-oop feed from Jeremiah Fears, the Pelicans had a 95-81 lead they were able to protect for the final 15 minutes.
The Kings got as close as 123-116 with 2:44 to play, but Herbert Jones drained a 3-pointer and the visitors coasted home.
Williamson hit 10 of 14 shots on a night in which the Pelicans were outshot 50.5% to 50.0% overall but dominated from beyond the arc, claiming a 36-24 point advantage behind Murphy’s 4-for-6 success. Sacramento connected on just eight of its 31 3-point attempts (25.8%).
Fears contributed 13 points, six rebounds and a team-high six assists to the New Orleans cause, while Bryce McGowens added 14 points and Jones and Derik Queen had 12 apiece. Matkovic and Queen matched Williamson’s nine rebounds for team-high honors.
Achiuwa, who also had 29 points last week at Dallas, found time to complete a double-double with a game-high 12 rebounds.
Russell Westbrook (19 points, game-high 10 assists) and Drew Eubanks (15 points, 11 rebounds) also doubled up for the Kings, while Malik Monk had 18 points. DeMar DeRozan scored 15 and Maxime Raynaud contributed 10.
–Field Level Media
