The Kings faced the Pelicans, which was supposed to be a game in which the Kings had the advantage, but the Kings were beaten 100-133 at home. Fat Tiger Zion was also injured in the previous game against the Clippers, so the Kings were still beaten by the Pelicans, which was really the biggest upset of the day. The whole king was listless, and even the difference was 50 points at the most. In the first quarter, the Pelicans beat the Kings to a huge 33-21 advantage.
In the second quarter, I thought the Kings would get up, but Fox continued to play iron, and he had to rely on Sabonis piecemeal. On the other hand, McCollum on the Pelicans' side seems to be venting his frustration at the last crushing defeat to the Clippers, who scored 20 points in just one half, and Ingram also scored 15 points, giving the Pelicans a whopping 25-point lead at 72-47. At the beginning of the second half, McCollum still had a good hand, and he continued to open up the gap by scoring consecutive points.
The Pelicans led by 44 points in the third quarter and scored as many as 50 points in the final quarter, almost breaking Paul's record of losing by 58 points that year. Fortunately, the Kings came off the bench to save some face, playing 39-30 in the first quarter to get back nine points. On the Kings' side in the whole game, Fox only scored 3 points and 4 turnovers on 1-of-10 shooting, which was basically the worst game of the season. Sabonis had 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists on 8-of-12 shooting, Barnes 10 points, Huerter 17 points and Kiyan Ellis 13 points.
For the Pelicans, the team shot 61% from the field, McCollum had 30 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists on 7-of-10 three-point shooting, Valanciunas had 15 points and 12 rebounds, Murphy had 11 points and 5 assists, and Ingram had 15 points and 8 assists. Although the Clippers' Big Three lost to the Lakers today, the Pelicans' big win over the Kings also gave the Clippers a big gift, and they can continue to sit firmly in the fourth place in the West.
The Clippers are currently 22-13 and the Kings are 21-14, one win apart. At least in the short term, the Clippers' top-four positions are already solid, and the Clippers will have an easier schedule than the Kings in the next schedule. Of course, it's a good thing for the Kings to play the Clippers in fifth, and the Clippers are still more willing to play the Kings than to let the Mavericks rise to fifth in the West. Because the superstar gap isn't on a level, the Clippers have Leonard, George and Harden.
The Kings only have Fox and Sabonis, which is why the Kings had a good regular season last season but didn't even make it to the Western Conference Finals. The team's talent is really limited, and of course it will be difficult for the Clippers to get to the next level. The Timberwolves are firmly on the throne, and their defense is extremely strong. As we all know, the NBA defense maintains the lower limit, the Timberwolves are still in a solid position, and the Thunder and Nuggets are also competing with each other, and neither will give up their positions.
Theoretically, fourth would be the most likely position for the Clippers, unless teams such as the Timberwolves, Nuggets and Thunder continue to lose streak in the future, and the Clippers continue their recent bravery, then the Clippers may really be one step closer. In the last 17 games, the Clippers have won 14 and lost 3. The Big Three are getting better and better, and today's loss to the Lakers is actually a bit out of the ordinary. Leonard has a time limit and Harden has a terrible hand.