CJ McCollum erupted for 43 points, including 37 after halftime and 11 in overtime, as the New Orleans Pelicans (13-42) defeated the Sacramento Kings (28-27) in a 140-133 victory. The win ended New Orleans’ 10-game losing streak and marked its first win over Sacramento in four meetings this season.
The Kings started strong, taking a 29-28 lead after the first quarter behind Zach LaVine’s scoring and Domantas Sabonis’ presence inside. Sacramento extended the margin with a 36-32 second quarter, going into halftime up 65-60.
New Orleans responded after the break, outscoring the Kings 38-30 in the third quarter to take a three-point lead. The Pelicans appeared to be in control late in the fourth, but Malik Monk’s clutch free throws with seconds remaining forced overtime. McCollum then took over, scoring 11 of his team’s 13 points in the extra period to seal the win.
McCollum shot 16-of-25 from the field and hit seven three-pointers while adding seven rebounds and two assists. Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy III each scored 18 points, with Murphy also dishing out 11 assists. Jordan Hawkins and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl contributed 16 points apiece, while Karlo Matkovic recorded a career-high 13 points and three blocks.
The Pelicans, missing Zion Williamson as he continues his return from a hamstring injury, relied heavily on three-point shooting, knocking down 21-of-50 (42%) from beyond the arc. McCollum led the charge with seven triples, while Alvarado and Robinson-Earl each added four.
Sacramento was led by LaVine, who posted 32 points and 10 assists on 12-of-24 shooting. Sabonis finished with 22 points and tied a career-high with 28 rebounds, marking his seventh game this season with at least 20 boards. Monk contributed 24 points and nine assists, while DeMar DeRozan added 20 points.
Despite dominating the rebounding battle 58-45, the Kings struggled with turnovers, committing 14 compared to the Pelicans’ 10. Sacramento also shot just 43.8% from the field and 36.2% from three, while New Orleans capitalized on its efficiency, shooting 50% overall.
Sacramento remains in ninth place in the Western Conference, tied with Golden State, and sits 1.5 games behind the eighth-seeded Dallas Mavericks. New Orleans, still at the bottom of the standings, will look to build on this momentum as they push for a late-season turnaround.
