Fall behind by 25 points in the second half? No problem for these Sacramento Kings, who cannot be stopped. They somehow pulled off a massive comeback by dominating the second half and defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 126-107 for their ninth straight win.
The Kings (13-6) trailed 72-47 near the start of the third quarter and 79-55 with about nine minutes to go in the period. A 27-3 run wiped out the Pelicans’ lead, however, and Sacramento went on for an easy win after outscoring New Orleans 79-39 in the second half.
Mitch Richmond scored a team-high 30 points, his fourth time recording 30+ in the gauntlet, and his second time in the last three games. Six other Kings scored in double-figures, all between 10 and 15 points. DeMarcus Cousins had his fifth straight double-double with 11 points and 15 rebounds. Mike Bibby had a season-high 13 points.
Anthony Davis had a game-high 32 points for the Pelicans, who ended up shooting just 42.2%. Chris Paul had 17 points and 10 assists and Zion Williamson scored 19 points.
An uneventful first quarter ended with a 25-25 tie. Richmond scored 13 of the Kings’ first 16 points.
The second quarter was all Pelicans, as they outscored Sacramento 43-22. New Orleans led 46-41 and then ended the quarter on a 22-6 run to take a 68-47 lead at the break.
Davis scored the first two baskets of the second half to give New Orleans their largest of 25 points at 72-47. It was still a 24-point game at 79-55. It was all Sacramento from that point on, however. The Kings went on a 27-3 run to tie the game at 82, finishing the run by scoring 14 straight points. There were a few lead changes, but Oscar Robertson hit a shot at the buzzer to give the Kings a 90-89 lead at the end of the quarter. The Kings outscored the Pelicans 43-21 in the quarter. They made 17 field goals after having just 16 in the entire first half.
The fourth quarter was more of the same, and the Kings never trailed again. It was 99-95 with nine minutes to go, and the Kings put the game away with a 19-2 run over the next six minutes.
Next up: the New York Knicks.
ROGER SPORTS & GAMES 