NEW ORLEANS (AP) — De’Aaron Fox scored 38 points, including 17 straight Sacramento points during the final seven minutes, and the Kings erased a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit for a 118-109 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night.
Harrison Barnes scored 24 points and Richaun Holmes had 17 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks for the Kings, who won for the fourth time in five games.
New Orleans led 97-87 after rookie guard Kira Lewis stole the ball from Barnes and set up Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s transition 3-pointer. But the Kings responded with a 16-3 run that began with 3s by Barnes and 2016 Pelicans first-round draft choice Buddy Hield. Fox’s 3 capped the surge and gave Sacramento a 101-100 lead.
Fox wound up outscoring New Orleans by himself in the fourth quarter, 17-15, highlighting his outburst with ball fakes on penetrating drives that left defenders flat-footed before he finished fluidly at the rim. Holmes played a role in that, blocking shots by Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart during the pivotal final period.
Ingram scored 20 for New Orleans, which has dropped two straight. Hart and Zion Williamson each scored 17. Hart also grabbed 13 rebounds.
Willy Hernangomez, who had appeared in three of New Orleans’ previous 18 games with a total of 12 minutes on the court, played a season-high 28 minutes because of Steven Adams’ calf injury. The first-year Pelican reserve center made the most of it, scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
The Kings had to play most of the second half without Marvin Bagley, who received his second technical foul of the game with 10:18 left in the third quarter while gesticulating angrily after being called for a foul on Williamson. Bagley had 10 points before his ejection.
TIP-INS
Kings: Hield finished with 16 points but missed 11 of 15 3-point shots. … Sacramento reserves combined to score just 13 points. … The Kings turned the ball over 20 times, leading to 25 Pelicans points.
Pelicans: Eric Bledsoe scored 14 points and Ball 12. … Adams, who is day to day with a left calf injury that occurred Saturday, was late scratch shortly before tipoff. Jaxson Hayes started in his place with Hernangomez the first center off the bench. … Hayes committed his third foul in the middle of the second quarter and was subbed out for the remainder of the half, which meant more playing time for Hernangomez. … Lewis, New Orleans’ first-round pick out of Alabama, played 15:37 and finished with two points to go with one assist, one rebound and one steal. He was 1-of-6 shooting.
UP NEXT
Kings: Host Boston on Wednesday night in the first of two consecutive home games.
Pelicans: Host Phoenix on on Wednesday night in the last of five straight home games.
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