A look at three key numbers related to Monday’s game at the Smoothie King Center between Sacramento and New Orleans (7 p.m. Central, Fox Sports New Orleans, 100.3 FM):
85.2: Zion Williamson’s shooting percentage from the field over his two career games vs. Sacramento. As a rookie, the Duke University product compiled a 10/12 game during the NBA restart in Orlando against the Kings, then surpassed that this season by going 13/15 in California’s capital city two weekends ago. The 20-year-old filled highlight reels everywhere with a series of dunks in Golden 1 Center, often dribbling past his defender for a two-hand or southpaw slam. Williamson has only played the equivalent of half of one NBA regular season (41 career games), but his two most efficient offensive performances are both against Sacramento. The other instance in which he shot over 80 percent from the field in a single game was his 9-for-11 outing at Chicago on Feb. 6 of last season. Besides Sacramento, among opponents he’s faced more than once, Williamson’s best field-goal percentage is 70.7 in three career meetings with Utah.
15:06: Pelicans point guard Kira Lewis Jr.’s playing time Jan. 17 at Sacramento, which was the last time the rookie from Alabama was on the court in a close game. Since the win over the Kings, Lewis has made three appearances, but all of those were in double-digit defeats, to Utah (twice) and Houston. Lewis didn’t have a great offensive night two weeks ago against Sacramento (three points, 1/5 shooting), but he dished out five assists and New Orleans was plus-nine with him on the floor, in a game it won by five. Stan Van Gundy indicated after Saturday’s loss vs. Houston (in which Lewis scored 10 points in 10 minutes) that it’s been difficult to keep Lewis out of the rotation, based on the 19-year-old’s talent and potential. Although much of his regular season floor time has come in mop-up portions of fourth quarters, Lewis has been very impressive statistically in one regard, having handed out 10 assists against only one turnover in 70 total minutes.
25, 30: Rank among the 30 NBA teams in bench scoring for Sacramento (33.3 ppg) and New Orleans (28.7), respectively. If there’s one common area of needed improvement for the Kings and Pelicans in their quests to move up the Western Conference standings, it may be bench production. Sacramento’s starting group has been very healthy in 2020-21, but its backup unit has been without key pieces at times, including forward Nemanja Bjelica, who’s only played in 10 games and was sidelined Saturday at Miami due to a back injury. Cory Joseph and Tyrese Haliburton are the only other Kings subs who’ve appeared in more than 15 games. For New Orleans, shooting slumps by key performers from last season’s effective core have been a factor in not receiving as much offensive output. Warming up lately from the perimeter, Josh Hart (37.5 percent from three-point range this season) is the only New Orleans reserve who’s appeared in all 18 games.
Previous game starting lineups
SACRAMENTO (8-11)
Saturday loss at Miami
De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley, Richaun Holmes
Notes: The Kings are one of very few NBA teams blessed with excellent lineup continuity this season. This group is 8-10, with a Jan. 13 home loss to Portland being the only time Sacramento did not rely on this quintet. Rookie guard Haliburton replaced Holmes in the first string that game. … In the Jan. 17 loss vs. New Orleans, Kings starters scored 110 of the team’s 123 points, led by Fox’s career-high 43.
NEW ORLEANS (7-11)
Saturday loss vs. Houston
Lonzo Ball, Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Steven Adams
Notes: Adams (left calf tightness) is listed as questionable. If the center is unable to play tonight, New Orleans will be guaranteed to use its fifth different starting lineup of 2020-21, because Adams has started all 18 previous games. … Jaxson Hayes has been New Orleans’ second-unit center this season and made 14 starts as a rookie, primarily when Derrick Favors was sidelined.
Pelicans keys to victory
GET SOME STOPS
New Orleans ended a five-game winning streak at Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center in mid-January by relying on one of its top offensive performances of 2020-21 (season-best 53 percent shooting, scored 128 points), but there was plenty of room for improvement on defense. The Kings shot 52 percent and Fox was a terror off the dribble, getting into the paint and scoring 14 two-point baskets. Sacramento dropped in 65 second-half points and totaled 123.
TIMELY THREES
The Pelicans were highly selective with their three-point attempts Jan. 17, perhaps partly because Williamson was a wrecking ball in the paint, shooting 13/15 (all from inside the arc). New Orleans took a season-low 22 three-point tries against the Kings, but made 11 of them, giving the Pelicans their best single-game three-point percentage (50.0) of 2020-21.
ROYAL RUMBLE IN THE PAINT
With Adams questionable to play, it could fall more on Hayes tonight to hold his own around the basket against the Kings’ starting duo of bigs Bagley and Holmes. Bagley turned in one of the best games of his NBA career Jan. 17 vs. the Pelicans by compiling 26 points and 10 rebounds, while the active Holmes went for 16 points, seven boards and two blocks.
