Last reminder for the playoffs! The Pelicans and the Kings have an appointment to compete for the last ticket for the first round against the Thunder. The former approach this match after having taken two blows to the head: the defeat against the Lakers and the injury to Zion Williamson. Author of a huge match, the inside will not be there and obviously, that changes everything. The latter have just won in style against the Warriors.
PRESENTATION OF THE PELICANS
The holders : C. McCollum, B. Ingram, H. Jones, T. Murphy III, J. Valanciunas
The replacements : N. Marshall, L. Nance Jr, J. Alvarado, J. Hawkins, D. Daniels, C. Zeller.
The absents :Zion Williamson
The coach : Willie Green
As with Miami with Jimmy Butler, the Pelicans will have to play this most important game of their season without their star, Zion Williamson. Cruel timing for the player and also for the team, because the interior was coming out of a huge match against the Lakers. His points and his presence will logically be missed.
However, New Orleans knows how to play without him, with seven wins and five losses this season in this configuration. Including a big success (+33) against the Kings…
The strong point
– 3-point defense. The Pelicans have the best outside defense in the country, and the 6th ranked defense in the country. Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III are aggressive and mobile, and Brandon Ingram's long segments greatly hamper opponents, limited to 35% from 3-point range. Another strong point: balloon flight, with the 3rd mark in the entire NBA.
The weak point
– Who will score? Brandon Ingram is coming back from injury and isn't 100% yet, Zion Williamson won't be there, so who's going to score points? This is necessarily reductive because there are weapons elsewhere, but the Pelicans will have to find other solutions than against the Lakers where only Zion (40 points) was a danger, because of the clumsiness at 3-points and the failed performances from Ingram and CJ McCollum.
PRESENTATION OF THE KINGS
The holders: Fox D, Ellis K, Murray K, Barnes H, Sabonis D.
The replacements: D. Mitchell, T. Lyles, A. Len, C. Duarte, K. Edwards, S. Vezenkov.
The absents : K. Huerter, M. Monk.
The coach: Mr. Brown.
The evening against the Warriors was perfect. The stars were up to the task, Keegan Murray shone, the second knives contributed and Mike Brown's troops were therefore able to take their revenge on Golden State, after the elimination of the first round in 2023. From now on, we must face a pet peeve (five matches, five losses) who lost Zion Williamson. So there is reason to hope.
The strong point
– The Fox – Sabonis duo. It all starts with these two players for Sacramento. With an average of 26.6 points and 37% from 3-point range, De'Aaron Fox had another high-flying season. He has also made clear progress in defense. His speed caused a lot of problems for the Warriors defense. Domantas Sabonis (19.4 points, 13.7 rebounds, 8.2 assists) also performed, finishing first in the NBA in triple-doubles and double-doubles, establishing a new franchise record with 61 consecutive double-doubles.
The weak point
– Bench depth. Even if the match against the Warriors was good in this area, we must not forget that, by losing Kevin Huerter for the season, and Malik Monk for several more weeks, the Kings lost their 4th and 5th best scorers but also a part of their identity. Kevin Huerter was one of Sabonis' favorite hand-to-hand partners, a central tactic for the Kings' offense, and Malik Monk is in the running to win sixth man of the year. Without these two players, Mike Brown would therefore have to play eight with a much less explosive squad, putting a lot of pressure on the Fox – Sabonis – Murray – Barnes quartet, who should all flirt with 40 minutes of playing time.
THE KEY TO THE MATCH
– Defense and pace. It's a life-and-death match and the Pelicans probably don't have the offensive weapons (not counting the impact on the group of having lost Zion) to win it and keep up with the Kings, who love to run and shoot. If the pace slows down and the defenses take over, New Orleans will be more comfortable. Domantas Sabonis delights when the spaces are open, much less when the game becomes harder. The team that imposes its rhythm will give itself the most chances.
REGULAR SEASON
New Orleans 5-0
November 20: New Orleans – Sacramento (129-93)
November 22: New Orleans – Sacramento (117-112)
December 4: Sacramento – New Orleans (117-127)
January 7: Sacramento – New Orleans (100-133)
April 11: Sacramento – New Orleans (123-135)
VERDICT
New Orleans. With Zion Williamson's withdrawal, the cards seem redistributed and the match is now much more balanced, despite the overwhelming domination of the Pelicans in the regular season.
However, if winning a series against the Kings without the double All-Star would have been very, very difficult, winning a game is already more likely (they have already done it). Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum owe a rematch after the loss to Los Angeles and the Pelicans showed more credentials as the intensity level and defenses increase. But since the Kings have the wind at their backs, it could not come down to much.
HOURLY
At 3:30 a.m., Friday night to Saturday.
