The New Orleans Pelicans and the Sacramento Kings meet in a Western Conference matchup at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California on Monday, March 6, 2023, to commence the 2022-23 NBA season.
Injury Latest news about this game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Sacramento Kings
The New Orleans Pelicans will try to do what they did in the past when they finish a three-game trip to the West with a game against the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.
New Orleans has split its first two games on this trip. On Wednesday, they won 121-110 at Portland, but on Friday, they lost 108-99 at Golden State.
The Pelicans, who had the best record in the West in mid-December, have fallen to the bottom of the pack, and Zion Williamson‘s future is still uncertain because of a strained right hamstring. Brandon Ingram knows it’s up to him to help keep things positive.
That’s exactly what Ingram has done. He scored 40 points in a win at Portland on Wednesday, which was his season high. In his last 10 games, he has scored more than 30 points five times.
He didn’t play when the Sacramento Kings went to New Orleans last month. So did De’Aaron Fox, who has been about as good as Ingram in recent weeks.
Trey Murphy III shocked the visitors with six 3-pointers and 30 points in that New Orleans win. It came during a stretch in which the Pelicans won four of five games to strengthen their position in the Western Conference playoff race.
The Pelicans Report
| PLAYER | UPDATED | INJURY |
STATUS
|
| Josh Richardson | Mar 5 | Personal |
Expected to be out until at least Mar 8
|
| Jonas Valanciunas | Mar 4 | Calf |
Game Time Decision
|
| Jose Alvarado | Mar 1 | Leg |
Expected to be out until at least Mar 23
|
| Larry Nance Jr. | Feb 28 | Ankle |
Expected to be out until at least Mar 17
|
| Zion Williamson | Feb 12 | Hamstring |
Expected to be out until at least Mar 14
|
| E.J. Liddell | Aug 7 | Knee |
Expected to be out until at least Apr 1
|
Sacramento’s five-game winning streak ended on Saturday when the Minnesota Timberwolves beat them 138-134 at home.
Since the last time they played the Pelicans, the Kings haven’t lost two games in a row. A month ago, on February 5, the Kings lost at Indiana and then got blown out by New Orleans, 136-104, two days later.
Before the Kings’ loss to the Timberwolves on Saturday, their All-Star player had scored 30 or more points in eight straight games. In that game, Kevin Huerter led the team with 29 points.
Sacramento hasn’t been in the playoffs since 2006, and even though they are in a pretty good spot right now (they have seven fewer losses than the Pelicans), coach Mike Brown has to keep telling his team that the job is not done.
The Kings have done well during a tough stretch of games, going 6-3 against teams that are in the running for the playoffs. But after New Orleans, the New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, and Milwaukee are all tough opponents.
Sabonis has now had nine straight double-doubles and doesn’t look like he’s going to stop. Even though the big man has been turning the ball over a lot lately, he is one of the best centers in the league because he is good at getting rebounds and has been taking more shots.
Sabonis’s only big weakness has been his inability to block shots. The big man has had trouble in this area for most of his career, and this season he’s only blocking an average of 0.5 shots per game.
On April 4, the Kings and Pelicans are also set to play in New Orleans.
The Kings Report
| PLAYER | UPDATED | INJURY |
STATUS
|
| De’Aaron Fox | Mar 5 | Hamstring |
Game Time Decision
|
| Richaun Holmes | Mar 5 | Illness |
Game Time Decision
|
