Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum were unstoppable as they combined for 62 points, leading the New Orleans Pelicans (48-32) to a convincing 135-123 victory over the Sacramento Kings (45-35) on Thursday night.
Despite an apparent left wrist injury that briefly sent him to the locker room, Williamson returned to dominate the second half with 23 points. He finished the game with 31 points, four rebounds, and six assists.
McCollum was on fire from beyond the arc, tying a season high with nine 3-pointers on 12 attempts en route to 31 points, while also dishing out seven assists to propel the Pelicans to victory.
With this win, the Pelicans improve their playoff positioning, currently sitting sixth in the Western Conference standings, just one game ahead of the Phoenix Suns.
Trey Murphy III contributed 27 points, while Jonas Valanciunas posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Despite a valiant effort from De’Aaron Fox, who scored 33 points, the Kings couldn’t keep pace with the Pelicans’ high-powered offense, suffering their fourth loss in five games.
Harrison Barnes added 22 points for Sacramento, but it wasn’t enough to prevent them from slipping into a tie for the eighth seed with the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.
The Pelicans surged early with an 18-0 run, establishing a commanding lead, but the Kings fought back to trim the deficit to single digits in the second quarter.
Despite missing Brandon Ingram and Larry Nance Jr., the Pelicans displayed depth and resilience to secure the crucial victory.
