The New Orleans Pelicans forward Naji Marshall (8) gets that winning feeling early in the game against the Sacramento Kings in the first quarter at Golden 1 in Sacramento on Mon Dec 4, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Monday night. The Kings were set to host the first game of the in-season tournament as they welcomed in the New Orleans Pelicans. The Kings last played Saturday night as they defeated the Denver Nuggets 123-117.

The Pelicans also last played on Saturday, as they were defeated by the Chicago Bulls 124-118 on the road. The Pelicans had embarrassed the Kings in the last two contests on the road. The tip-off was set for 7 PM PST on TNT. The Kings fell to the Pelicans 127-117 on Monday night.

In the first quarter, the fans in attendance were in for a roller coaster. The Kings came out hot and jumped out to an early lead. The Kings, at one point, led by 15 points. However, the Pelicans roared back to shrink that lead down to one point by the end of the quarter. It was a wild quarter you would only assume would not repeat itself. The Kings outscored the Pelicans 36-35 in the first quarter and looked to right the ship in the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the bizarre play from the Kings continued. After starting the game red hot, the Kings were struggling mightily to score and get any stops on defense. It was a full-blown meltdown for the Kings after the midway point in the first quarter. The Pelicans outscored the Kings 34-25 in the second quarter to take the lead going into halftime. The Pelicans led the Kings 69-61 at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Kings stopped the bleeding. However, they were still outscored by the Pelicans 31-30 in the quarter. The defensive assignment the Pelicans give the Kings is not a good matchup. The Kings continued the struggle on the defensive end to get stops. As the quarter winded down and we headed to the fourth quarter, the Kings were trailing 100-91.

In the fourth quarter, it was more of the same. The Kings weren’t able to muster any comeback against the Pelicans as they lost 127-117. The Pelicans outscored the Kings in the final quarter 27-26. It was a disappointing game for the Kings after steering the game so hot.

The Kings appeared poised to win the game early but that quickly vanished. The Kings were led in defeat by De’Aaron Fox with 30 points. The Pelicans best performance came from Brandon Ingram who scored 30 points.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, Dec 11th, after the in-season tournament break concludes. The Kings will take on the Nets at 7 PM PST.