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Week 2 of the 2021-22 NBA season continues on Friday as the Sacramento Kings visit the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. The Kings are fresh off an exciting win over the Phoenix Suns while the Pelicans lost to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
The Kings visited the Suns on Wednesday at Footprint Center and took home a 110-107 win. Harrison Barnes hit the game-winning buzzer-beating three-point shot to give Sacramento the victory. The win gave the Kings a record of 2-2 for the season.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans hosted the Hawks on Wednesday. New Orleans got the early lead in the first quarter, but Atlanta came back. It was a really close game with the Pelicans ultimately losing 102-99. New Orleans currently has a record of 1-4.
Match Details
Fixture: Sacramento Kings vs New Orleans Pelicans | NBA Season 2021-22
Date & Time: Friday, October 29th, 8:00 PM ET (Saturday, October 30th, 5:30 AM IST)
Venue: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Sacramento Kings Preview
The Sacramento Kings arrived and conquered the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday with a 110-107 win. With 1.4 seconds left, De'Aaron Fox threw an inbound pass to Harrison Barnes, who rose and hit the game-winning, buzzer-beating shot to give the Kings their second win of the seaosn.
Barnes finished the game with 22 points, nine rebounds and four assists, while Fox had 18 points, two rebounds and nine assists. Buddy Hield came off the bench to give the Kings a much-needed boost. He led the team in scoring with 26 points and hit seven three-point shots.
Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton is very happy with the result. He lauded his young team by learning to stay composed in the final minutes of the game. If Sacramento can play better in the clutch, they could sneak into the playoffs this season.
"It's an emotional roller coaster sometimes. I'm happy for our guys because they did play really hard tonight. They fought back from a poor first half, built up a nice lead, made some big plays. But we have to learn from that," Walton said.
Key Player – De’Aaron Fox
De'Aaron Fox put up 18 points, two rebounds, nine assists and one steal against the Phoenix Suns. It was a good game for Fox, who is the Sacramento Kings' best player and leader heading into the season. He is the glue that holds it together for the entire team.
For the Sacramento Kings to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans, Fox has to take over if it is a close game. He is one of the fastest players in the league and he should take advantage of it. In addition to scoring, Fox also needs to continue sharing the ball to make the Kings a much better team.
Sacramento Kings Predicted Lineup
G - De'Aaron Fox; G - Tyrese Haliburton; F - Maurice Harkless; F - Harrison Barnes; C - Richaun Holmes.
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans continued to struggle to get wins as they lost 102-99 to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. It was another close defeat as the Pelicans failed to hit a game-winner in the dying seconds of the game.
The Pelicans were up big in the first quarter, but the Hawks made a comeback in the second quarter. The game was close until the final seconds as Devonte' Graham and Brandon Ingram failed to make a shot to give the team the lead with 1.5 seconds left. Trae Young iced the game with two free throws.
New Orleans gave up 21 offensive rebounds and that was one of the reasons they lost the game. Graham told the media after the game that the New Orleans Pelicans will continue to improve this season despite the absence of their best player, Zion Williamson, who is recovering from an injured foot.
"Obviously, we got outrebounded, giving up second-chance points. All correctable stuff but we put ourselves in a position to win again, and it's growing pains. You've got to learn, you've got to be in those positions to know what you've got to do and we'll learn from it," Graham said.
Key Player – Brandon Ingram
The New Orleans Pelicans are in a tough position to start the season. They are missing their best player in Zion Williamson, so it is up to Brandon Ingram to carry the team. Ingram is a former All-Star, who is one of the best young scorers in the NBA today.
In the loss to the Hawks, Ingram had an all-around solid game. He had 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists, a steal and a couple of blocks. If the New Orleans Pelicans want to win against the Sacramento Kings on Friday, Ingram has to do more than score 20 points.
New Orleans Pelicans Predicted Lineup
G - Devonte' Graham; G - Nickiel Alexander-Walker; F - Brandon Ingram; F - Herb Jones; C - Jonas Valanciunas.
Kings vs Pelicans Match Prediction
The Sacramento Kings appear to have the advantage against the New Orleans Pelicans in their matchup on Friday. The Kings are healthy and they are playing particularly well despite their record. The Pelicans are still without Zion Williamson, but the rest of the team has been playing hard. It will likely be a close game with Sacramento possibly getting the win.
Where to watch Kings vs Pelicans?
The Sacramento Kings vs New Orleans Pelicans game can be watched live via the NBA League Pass. Meanwhile, local fans can also watch the game on NBC Sports Bay Area & California in Sacramento and Bally Sports New Orleans.
Guess the Lakers players!
