Boasting a flawless In-Season group stage record, the Sacramento Kings are hosting the New Orleans Pelicans in the quarterfinal round. The Kings maintain their status as one of the top offensive teams. However, despite their prowess, they carry a losing record against the Pelicans. Two of the allotted five games occurred between them recently, both favoring New Orleans. Additionally, King’s stars De’Aaron Fox, Keegan Murray, and Malik Monk have all struggled to meet their usual performance levels against NOP.

In a hotly contested first quarter, the teams combined for 71 points; with the Kings leading 36-35. As the tension persisted into the second quarter, the Kings encountered an unexpected hurdle involving Murray.

Keegan Murray exits the game early in the second

As the game between the Kings and the Pelicans unfolded, the Sacramento Kings faced a significant scare when Keegan Murray was observed tending to his back. So far, there is no official disclosure of an injury. However, it appears that Murray experienced some discomfort after contesting a baseline jumper from Brandon Ingram.

The incident occurred with nearly 7 minutes remaining until halftime. Before heading toward the locker room, Murray appeared fully engaged in the game, contributing 8 points. Furthermore, he had a hot hand with a 3-4 shooting record from the floor.

Following the halftime break, Keegan Murray was cleared to rejoin the game and contributed significant minutes for his squad. Despite adding 6 points to the scoreboard, his once hot hand had turned cold in the interim. As the third quarter closed, Murray’s FG sat at 5-9, with the Pelicans leading 100-91.

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The Pelicans can take it home

As Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram brought athleticism and extreme length into the game, Domantas Sabonis was called to elevate his performance after a string of subpar outings. As a result, as the fourth quarter was due to unfold, Sabonis was on track for a triple-double.

Joining his performance was Fox. Despite facing challenges from beyond the three-point line, De’Aaron Fox has already amassed 25 points with 10 minutes remaining until the final buzzer.

On the Pelicans’ side, Brandon Ingram is responding to the call of the game. Poised for a 30-point game, he has already notched 27 points. However, Zion Williamson seems to be grappling with his performance. Despite delivering standout performances against the Clippers and Nuggets, the forward has only contributed 10 points thus far.

Fortunately for the Pelicans, Herb Jones has been a surprising offensive asset; tallying 19 points on an efficient 7-12 shooting.

With the winner of this game playing the winner of the Suns-Lakers game tomorrow, who do you think has the best chance of claiming the inaugural NBA cup?

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