Sacramento Kings vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction: High-scoring Kings take on vulnerable Pels

The NBA story for the Regular Season is reaching its concluding stages and we are in the most tricky phase where standings for both Playoffs and Play-in slates will be revealed. For those on the border of Playoffs and Play-in slots, each loss will bite worse than the last one. And one such squad, the New Orleans Pelicans are going to take on the Sacramento Kings.

The Pels enter the affair after losing 99:108 to the Warriors despite a 25 points performance by CJ McCollum. The Pels are having a terrible second half of the season and have five losses and six losses, and after losing Zion Williamson, they have collapsed on all fronts, losing 16 of their last 21 games. They now have 33 losses and 31 wins, having had their fortunes curtailed and now struggling for breath to make the Play-in tournament at this point. Without Zion, they have been struggling on both ends and despite having Brandon Ingram, their fortunes have been lean on both ends.

The Kings come into this fray after losing 134:138 against the Sacramento Kings despite a 29 points outing by sharpshooter Kevin Huerter. This broke a five-game winning streak and in an extended window, they have nine wins in 12 games. Due to their amazing play, the Kings have 37 wins and 26 losses and are set to make the Playoffs’ first round after more than 15 years. De’Aaron Fox who has been the staple on offense for many years now has received immense support from Domantas Sabonis, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, and Malik Monk. Sabonis has given the team a versatile big option whereas Huerter has addressed the previous seasons’ long-range shooting woes. Barnes, Murray and Monk make for a balanced attack.

The Kings have been the best offensive team throughout the season and they aren’t solely dependent upon De’Aaron Fox to provide high-quality offense. The Pels have been the opposite of Kings and since Zion has gone, the soul of the team has been sucked out. Due to this reason, I’d side with the Kings to win by a big margin. I predict a scoreline of 133:120 in favor of the Kings.