Los New Orleans Pelicans They beat the Sacramento Kings in quality, success and, above all, competitive intensity. Silencing the bustling home team’s pavilion with a display worthy of their status as a team on the rise, they booked their ticket for the Final Four of the In-Season Tournament in Las Vegas. The NBA Cup left a beautiful and intense first day of the final phase, just what was promised, and in Sacramento who led the contest was Brandon Ingram.
The number two in the 2016 Draft commanded the visiting victory with 30 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in 40 minutes of play (10-20 TC; 3-6 3P), and the rest of the team accompanied him with a magnificent choral performance up to the challenge. Six Pelicans players scored in double figures, and it was CJ McCollum who best complemented the forward’s work with 17 points and 7 basket passes.
“The key has been good execution”Ingram noted, delighted with his next trip to the city of lights and sin. “We have tried to slow down the pace of Fox and Sabonis,” he added. Certainly, the poor aim of the local point guard greatly ruined the chances of the Californian team, which had just lost its two previous games against the Louisiana team this season.
De’Aaron Fox He reached 30 points, but his 6 losses and a poor 10 of 25 in field goals (1-7 3P) left his team without any gunpowder in the last quarter. In the first half, it was Domantas Sabonis, the other All Star from Sacramento, who fell somewhat short. The Lithuanian, however, improved in the second half and finished with 26 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, a triple-double that practically did not bother the opponent, since he forged himself with the match half resolved.
In the first quarter, the Kings came out energized and on target, leading by 15 points in the locker. In the blink of an eye, the Pelicans erased that lead to 36-35 entering the second period. There they opened a gap, and after leading 61-69 at halftime, they escaped 15 up in the third. There were threats of a new local comeback, but the visitors remained firm in their game plan and since they took the lead they did not abandon it.
Such was the choral superiority of New Orleans that they did not even require the best version of Zion Williamson, undoubtedly far from being the promised star despite his talent and incomparable status within the squad. Physically exhausted, the voluminous interior contributed 10 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists to the victory (5-8 TC; 0-2 3P), but at no time did he provide that plus required for a player called to mark an era. They were brighter Herb Jones (23), Jonas Valanciunas (18) y Trey Murphy (16), while Jose Alvarado He dedicated himself to making the local referee uncomfortable for a large part of his valuable minutes on the field.
Fox’s bad night infected the rest of his teammates, and the Kings shot more and worse than their rival from long distance. His 44% on field goals and 34% on three-pointers was too big a hole compared to the opponent’s 54-45. Only Keegan Murraywith 14 points and 4 of 8 in triples, fit into Mike Brown’s starting quintet, and Malik Monk He was not enough as a hero from the bench despite his 21 points and 5 of 9 from the perimeter.
New Orleans played better, so much so that even the Golden 1 Center, one of the most hostile and noisy venues in the NBA, ended up silent in the face of the clear and incontestable elimination of their team. The Pelicans will be in Las Vegas, and they will look for the all-in with many arguments.
Sacramento (117): De’Aaron Fox (30), Kevin Huerter (12), Harrison Barnes (4), Keegan Murray (14), Domantas Sabonis (26) -the starting quintet-; Malik Monk (21), Trey Lyles (5), Keon Ellis (5), Sasha Vezenkov (0), JaVale McGee (0).
New Orleans (127): CJ McCollum (17), Herbert Jones (23), Brandon Ingram (30), Zion Williamson (10), Jonas Valanciunas (18) -quinteto titular-; Jose Alvarado (9), Naji Marshall (4), Trey Murphy (16), Cody Zeller (0), Dyson Daniels (0).
Partials: 36-35 / 24-34 / 30-31 / 26-27
Referees: Tony Brothers, Sean Wright, John Butler.
Incidences: quarterfinal match of the In-Season Tournament played at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, before 18,048 spectators
see match sheet
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2023-12-05 06:12:01
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