Sacramento clearly wants to finish out strong after beating New Orleans.
Looks the word "tanking" is slowly no longer associated with the Sacramento Kings.
Amid feelings from certain fans that the team should lose out and improve their draft standing, Sacramento has now won two in a row. This time holding off the New Orleans Pelicans 117-113 inside the Golden 1 Center on Friday.
Sacramento one week ago held the highest probability to land the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft lottery. Fans and even media members envisioned Sacramento losing out to potentially land a high-impact performer like AJ Dybantsa (BYU) and Darryn Peterson (Kansas).
Now there's conflicting feelings. Although Frankie Cartoscelli of Sactown 1140 AM sees the negative and positive effect of this late charge.
"The Draft Lottery standings are obviously at the top of everyone's minds, but it's definitely a big positive to see the Kings' rookies ending the year on such a high note," Cartoscelli posted on the social media website X, formerly known as Twitter. "Nique Clifford is going out strong. Maxime Raynaud should make one of the NBA All-Rookie teams. Dylan Cardwell looks like a legit rim-protector. Positives to take into the offseason."
Raynaud looked really impactful, dropping a game-high 28 points on New Orleans. He hit 11-of-14 field goals plus pulled in nine rebounds.
Nique Clifford dropped 23 points to finish second on Sacramento, putting up the performance on 9-of-16 shooting plus nailed four 3-pointers. Clifford also dished out seven assists.
"Nique Clifford played with a confidence and poise that isn't always there. He attacked the paint, set up his teammates and controlled the pace of play for the Kings," James Ham of ESPN 1320 AM shared on X.
Daeqwon Plowden added 17 points in 31 minutes. DeMar DeRozan settled for a quieter night, but still delivered 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting and played 23 minutes on the floor.
Precious Achiuwa scored 12 points in 25 minutes and grabbed seven rebounds. Dylan Cardwell rose as a force on defense, blocking an astonishing five shots and settling for six points on offense. Devin Carter provided nine points and six rebounds.
The Kings scored 22 points off turnovers and pounded the Pelicans with 62 points in the paint. New Orleans settled for 48 inside points. Sacramento lastly won the rebounding battle by plucking 46 boards.
Now the Kings stand at 21-57 overall with just four games left into the regular season. They host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
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