CJ McCollum #3 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on February 27, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Michael Owens/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Michael Owens / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
CJ McCollum and Jaxson Hayes scored 23 points apiece Tuesday night as the New Orleans Pelicans clinched a Western Conference play-in berth with a 123-109 victory over the host Sacramento Kings.
Hayes, with 12 rebounds, and Willy Hernangomez, with 12 points and 12 rebounds, put up double-doubles for the Pelicans (35-44) who remained one game ahead of the 10th-place San Antonio Spurs (34-45), who won at Denver.
Davion Mitchell had 15 points and 17 assists for the Kings (29-51), who were formally eliminated from the Western postseason race two nights earlier.
Immediately following a tight first half after which the Pelicans took a 60-57 advantage to the locker room, Brandon Ingram, Herbert Jones and Hayes nailed consecutive 3-pointers in a nine-point flurry that increased the margin to 12 in the second minute of the third period.
Love CJ McCollum hoopin' pic.twitter.com/7QA6AttrmL
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) April 6, 2022
In losing for just the third time in their past seven games, the Kings got as close as four later in the third quarter and were down just 105-99 after a Chimezie Metu hoop with 7:23 remaining in the game.
However, McCollum hit two baskets in a 8-3 burst that broke the game open and allowed the visitors to coast home with a fourth triumph in the past five games.
McCollum shot 10-for-19 and Hayes 10-for-14 en route as the Pelicans converted 51.1 percent of their shots.
Ingram finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and a team-high eight assists for New Orleans. Devonte’ Graham and Trey Murphy III chipped in with 14 apiece while Larry Nance Jr. had 10.
The Kings lost despite shooting 51.3 percent. En route to a team-high 22 points, Damian Jones was the most accurate of the hosts, shooting 8-for-10.
Jeremy Lamb matched Mitchell with 15 points for the Kings, while Metu and Harrison Barnes added 12 apiece.
Barnes pulled down six rebounds for Sacramento, which split the season series with the Pelicans 2-2.