The New Orleans Pelicans secured a spot in the NBA playoffs by defeating the Sacramento Kings 105-98 in a play-in tournament elimination game, with De’Aaron Fox scoring 35 points.
Despite missing Zion Williamson, the Pelicans rallied behind Brandon Ingram’s 24 points and Jonas Valanciunas’ double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds.
With balanced scoring and resilient defense, the Pelicans showcased their depth with six players scoring 10 or more points, including contributions from reserves Larry Nance Jr., Naji Marshall, and Jose Alvarado.
The Pelicans’ victory sets up a first-round playoff series against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
Despite strong performances from De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, the Kings fell short against the Pelicans, who extended their season series record to 6-0 against Sacramento.
