NBA: Pelicans hammer Kings, stay perfect since break
FILE–Brandon Ingram #14 of the New Orleans Pelicans. Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images/AFP
Brandon Ingram finished with 33 points to lead six New Orleans scorers in double figures as the host Pelicans routed the Sacramento Kings 125-95 on Wednesday night.
Ingram made 15 of 19 shots from the floor, Jonas Valanciunas had 17 points and 14 rebounds, CJ McCollum and Naji Marshall scored 17 each, Herbert Jones had 14 points, and Jaxson Hayes scored 13 as the Pelicans improved to 3-0 since the All-Star break.
New Orleans, which began the streak with road wins against the Suns and the Lakers, have won the three games by an average of 24.3 points.
De’Aaron Fox scored 25 points, Harrison Barnes had 19, Domantas Sabonis added 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Jeremy Lamb scored 12 to lead the Kings, who lost for the fifth time in six games.
The Pelicans extended their four-point halftime lead to 79-70 on a dunk by Valanciunas.
Brandon Ingram went off for 24 points in the first half to propel the @PelicansNBA to victory!@B_Ingram13: 33 PTS (15-19 FGM), 5 REB, 6 AST pic.twitter.com/7D3UvKV1ek
— NBA (@NBA) March 3, 2022
Barnes made two free throws, but Jones made a 3-pointer to start a 13-1 run that gave New Orleans a 92-75 lead.
Sacramento made a brief run before Tony Snell’s basket gave the Pelicans a 96-82 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Marshall scored seven of New Orleans’ first nine points of the fourth quarter as the lead grew to 21 points.
The Pelicans outscored the Kings 60-34 in the second half as they won for the first time in three meetings between the teams this season. The series concludes April 5 in Sacramento.
The Pelicans led by seven points early in the first quarter, then the Kings led by six points twice before Hayes’ three-point play helped pull New Orleans within 33-31 at the end of the period.
Marshall’s 3-pointer started the second-quarter scoring and produced the first of 10 lead changes before Ingram’s jumper tied the score at 51.
Sabonis’ layup broke the tie before Ingram had 11 points and an assist as the Pelicans opened a 65-58 lead.
Fox scored the final three points of the quarter to cut the lead to 65-61 at halftime.
