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Jim Eichenhofer

After a scorching-hot start by Sacramento on Monday, a pair of New Orleans players whose season only recently began helped propel the Pelicans to a momentous first-half surge. In the latter half, Brandon Ingram helped New Orleans cement a trip to Las Vegas. In the knockout stage of the inaugural In-Season Tournament, the Pelicans played one of their best games of 2023-24, overcoming an early 15-point deficit to take a 15-point lead of their own. In the fourth quarter, the visitors staved off a few runs by the Kings to move on to Thursday’s tourney semifinals.

Sacramento seized a rapid 32-17 lead in the opening period, but Trey Murphy (in just his second game of the season) and Jose Alvarado (eighth) sparked a turnaround. Murphy and Alvarado each dropped in baskets, and the latter ignited New Orleans with one of his patented out-of-nowhere steals. A Pelicans run quieted a raucous, sold-out Sacramento crowd and sliced the deficit to 36-35 by the end of the quarter. After halftime, Ingram scored 17 of his team-high 30 points, delivering in several spots where New Orleans needed a hoop to quell the hosts’ momentum.

“That was a gutsy win, against a very good team,” third-year head coach Willie Green said, before alluding to how the Pelicans responded after taking an early punch from the Kings. “Our guys are resilient. They’re a resilient group. We’re all grateful for who those guys are.”

Fox hunt.On Nov. 20, New Orleans’ defense limited Sacramento All-Star De’Aaron Fox to his worst performance of the regular season. On Monday, the Pelicans again hounded him from the get-go, making him work hard for everything he created. The lefty point guard did produce 30 points by the end of the night, but he shot just 10/25 from the field and turned the ball over six times (against four assists). Herb Jones continues to play elite defense (no surprise) and has been vital in all three recent New Orleans wins over Sacramento. Jones did damage at the offensive end as well, scoring 23 points, going 3/5 on threes and all but sealing Monday's outcome with a coast-to-coast dunk in the final two minutes.Depth on display.The Pelicans approaching full strength is going to make for some difficult decisions on playing time by Green. One of those occurred Monday, when superb first-year guard Jordan Hawkins (third on NBA.com’s Rookie Ladder) was a DNP. Meanwhile, another rising youngster, second-year guard Dyson Daniels, logged just six minutes, after recently starting games when key teammates were sidelined. The Pelicans’ ability to bring Murphy (30 minutes) off the bench gives them a significant weapon for their second unit. The third-year forward scored 16 points and was 3/8 from three-point range. Six NOLA players notched double-digit points.A meaningful achievement.After the buzzer, Green was asked how significant it is for the Pelicans franchise to be part of the exclusive four-team field in Las Vegas, for the NBA’s first-ever In-Season Tournament semifinals. Green: “Any time you get an opportunity to be considered one of the first, in a good way, we want to celebrate and relish those opportunities. Say what you want – we’re one of the last four teams in the In-Season Tournament. We’re one of the first teams to ever play in it. We’re a franchise that’s trying to build sustainable winning. This is another step in that direction.”  

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Photos: Pelicans at Kings | In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals 12/4/23

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram racks up 30 points in the team's In-Season Tournament quarterfinals win against the Sacramento Kings.

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In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals Highlights: Brandon Ingram racks up 30 points vs. Sacramento Kings 12/4/23

New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones tallied 23 points in the team's In-Season Tournament quarterfinals win against the Sacramento Kings.

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In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals Highlights: Herb Jones scores 23 points vs. Sacramento Kings 12/4/23

New Orleans Pelicans forward Jonas Valanciunas adds 18 points in the team's In-Season Tournament quarterfinals win against the Sacramento Kings.

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In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals Highlights: Jonas Valanciunas with 18 points vs. Sacramento Kings 12/4/23

New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III scores 16 points in the team's In-Season Tournament quarterfinals win against the Sacramento Kings.

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In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals Highlights: Trey Murphy III with 16 points vs. Sacramento Kings 12/4/23

New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum adds 17 points in the team's In-Season Tournament quarterfinals win against the Sacramento Kings.

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In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals Highlights: CJ McCollum with 17 points vs. Sacramento Kings 12/4/23

14/31: New Orleans three-point shooting. The visitors were 10/19 at halftime, but understandably couldn’t keep up that rate in the final 24 minutes. The team’s season high in made three-pointers is 17.18-11: Jonas Valanciunas points and rebounds. With the Pelicans trying to protect a late-game lead, the Kings trapped and pressured the ball, leading to Valanciunas putting the finishing touches on the win with two-handed dunks.3: Times New Orleans will play in Golden 1 Center this season, with the latter two trips coming in January and April. The Pelicans have already clinched the season series (now up 3-0) and tiebreaker that comes with it against the Kings, something that could become notable in the spring.

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NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinal postgame wrap: Pelicans 127, Kings 117

Naji Marshall is a major source of energy for New Orleans on and off the court, which is part of what makes Monday’s In-Season Tournament quarterfinal in Sacramento his kind of basketball. When asked after shootaround about the atmosphere in Golden 1 Center he expects for an elimination game, the fourth-year forward responded, “I’m looking forward to the energy. It’s my type of vibe.”

A national audience, including much of the rest of the NBA's teams and players, will tune in Monday for Day 1 of the knockout stage of the In-Season Tournament, which begins with a Boston-Indiana matchup in the Eastern Conference. At 9 p.m. Central, Sacramento (11-7, West Group C winner) will host New Orleans (11-10, West Group B winner), in a third meeting between the clubs since Nov. 20. The Pelicans swept the Kings in a “baseball series” prior to Thanksgiving in New Orleans.

“It’s going to be high-level basketball,” Marshall said. “We beat them two times at our crib; they got us at (their) crib (tonight) for the money (with a berth in the IST semifinals at stake). I know they’re going to come out with some energy, and ready to ball. We’ve just got to match that.”

“I think it will be fun,” Herb Jones said of Monday’s tournament game. “We’re still approaching it like every other game, the same intensity. We expect each other to bring it every night, no matter what’s on the line. But I think it’s going to be a super-fun environment to play in.”

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Naji Marshall talks taking on Kings for third time, In-Season Tournament 12/4/2023

For some NBA fans, this week may be the first time they’ve seen the 2023-24 Pelicans play. Asked how he’d describe his team to those who may be unfamiliar, Marshall responded, “Energetic, fun to watch, electric, downhill, transition. We kind of check off all of the boxes. We’ve got shooters, guys who get to the rim. We’ve got enforcers, defensive players, rebounders. It’s a fun team to watch.”

Jones on the Pelicans: “I think it’s somewhat similar to a college team, almost. In college, you (live) somewhat in the same area, if not in the same apartment complex. Everybody enjoys being around each other and that’s our team. Everyone enjoys showing up to hoop, feeding off each other. It’s super-fun being around a group that enjoys being around each other.” …

From an overarching standpoint, Monday marks a coveted chance for New Orleans to put some of its primary pieces on the floor at the same time, with Trey Murphy set to play in just his second game since returning from an offseason knee injury.

“Hopefully we can bring it in at the right time, make everything work at the right time,” Marshall said, referring partly to Murphy and CJ McCollum (lung) recently returning. “We’ve got all of the pieces. Let’s get everyone coming back and get more dangerous, more lethal, hit more threes, get more stops, run in transition. It’s a beautiful thing to see and it can be dangerous.”

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Herb Jones talks playing in Knockout Rounds, taking on Kings again 12/4/2023

Go-to guy: Point guard De’Aaron Fox (30.3 ppg) is one of four NBA players averaging 30-plus points this season, trailing only Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic and Kevin Durant among the scoring leaders. The lightning-quick southpaw was held to a season-low 14 points and no assists by New Orleans in the Pelicans’ Nov. 20 rout, but Fox answered with 26 points two nights later in a much closer defeat.

On the rise: Like Fox, Kings third-leading scorer Malik Monk (14.4 ppg) was held in check during the two-game series in New Orleans, totaling just 18 points on 5/19 shooting, but he’s been hot since leaving the Crescent City. Over the ensuing four games, the instant-offense reserve guard has tallied 17, 21, 15 and 26 points, helping Sacramento beat Minnesota, Golden State and Denver during that span. &nbsp;

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Highlights: Best of Pelicans from 2023 In-Season Tournament Group Play

Dyson Daniels, Herb Jones, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Jonas Valanciunas

Notes: The Pelicans are inching closer to full strength, but Larry Nance Jr. and Matt Ryan are listed as out for Monday’s game. McCollum and Murphy are back in uniform Monday after being DNPs due to rest Saturday. … Eight current Pelicans players have NBA playoff experience with New Orleans (from a 2022 first-round matchup vs. Phoenix), including Daniels, Jones, Ingram, Valanciunas, Nance, McCollum, Murphy and Marshall.

De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Keegan Murray, Harrison Barnes, Domantas Sabonis

Notes: The Kings are mostly healthy, but listed Chris Duarte as questionable on Sunday’s injury report, while Alex Len is out. … Ten current Kings players have NBA playoff experience with Sacramento (from a 2023 first-round matchup vs. Golden State), including Fox, Huerter, Murray, Barnes, Sabonis, Monk, Len, Davion Mitchell, Trey Lyles and Kessler Edwards.

PRIZE POSSESSIONSCan New Orleans carry over some of its recent playmaking prowess to the road? The Pelicans compiled a stellar 2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio in their two November victories over the Kings (61 assists, 22 turnovers). Five of their last six games of 30-plus assists have come in the Smoothie King Center.POUND THE BOARDSNew Orleans and Sacramento rank similarly in rebounding this season (the Pelicans are 19th in rebounding percentage, two slots ahead of the Kings), but you wouldn’t have known that from watching the pair of November meetings in the Big Easy. New Orleans won boards by a double-digit margin both times, amassing a 103-74 advantage over Sacramento.MATCHUP TO WATCHAt forward, veterans Ingram (27.0 ppg) and Barnes (19.0) excelled in the two-game Crescent City series last month. Ingram delivered elite shooting splits against the Kings at 56/67/100. Barnes was efficient as well, particularly on threes and free throws, producing a 46/47/92 split.

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Pelicans shootaround update: Naji Marshall looks forward to the 'vibe' in elimination game of In-Season Tournament

Pelicans.com

On the latest New Orleans Pelicans Podcast from Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, it's In-Season Tournament elimination time! Gus Kattengell and Jim Eichenhofer get you ready for tonight's quarterfinal game in Sacramento against the Kings. Hear from several Pelicans players about the importance of trying to get three wins this week and capture the first ever NBA Cup.

Jim also gives us his player of the week and a player to keep an eye out for.

LISTEN ABOVE OR CLICK HERE FOR FULL PODCAST >>

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Previewing the Pelicans' In-Season Tournament quarterfinal game vs. the Sacramento Kings | Pelicans Podcast

Check out our daily collection of Pelicans news and notes from local and national reporters around the Internet on December 4, 2023.

Pelicans have been at their best during In-Season Tournament competition

After a total of 60 November group-stage games were played within the NBA’s brand-new In-Season Tournament, the 2023 event heads to a conclusion this week, with eight teams competing over seven games in a single-elimination format.

Injury Report: Two players out for Pelicans in quarterfinal vs. Kings

New Orleans still has a couple key contributors on its current injury list, but the Pelicans will enter Monday’s In-Season Tournament quarterfinal in Sacramento (9 p.m., Bally Sports, TNT, 99.5 FM) perhaps as close to full strength as they’ve been all season. Larry Nance Jr. (right rib fracture) and Matt Ryan (right elbow soreness) are listed as out in the single-elimination matchup against the Kings.

Pelicans expect playoff-like atmosphere in Sacramento for In-Season Tournament quarterfinal

The last time Jordan Hawkins played a game in Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, the then-UConn sophomore scored 20 points and led the Huskies to a rout over Gonzaga, punching a ticket to the 2023 NCAA Final Four. If you’re even a casual college basketball fan, you know the rest of the story – Hawkins and UConn captured a national title, dominating Miami and San Diego State.

The 18 hours that might've saved Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and the New Orleans Pelicans' season

IT'S NOV. 17 and the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets are in New Orleans for an important in-season tournament contest. With 9:07 left in the first quarter, Pelicans wing Brandon Ingram corrals a rebound off a Jonas Valanciunas missed 3 and stands a foot behind the free throw line.

Pelicans' pursuit of NBA Cup will give their players and fans a chance at a payday

If the New Orleans Pelicans win the NBA’s first-ever In-Season Tournament, forward Naji Marshall knows what he would do with the prize money.

“I would build my own gym,” Marshall said. “For real.”

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Pelicans News Around the Web 12/04/23

New Orleans (11-10) becomes a unique part of NBA history Monday, participating in the first night of the quarterfinal (knockout) stage of the inaugural In-Season Tournament. The third-seeded Pelicans will visit second-seeded Sacramento at 9 p.m. Central in the Western Conference portion of the bracket. The game is being broadcast locally by Bally Sports and 99.5 FM (pregame coverage on both is at 8:30). Nationally, TNT has the TV call. Prior to Pelicans-Kings, Boston and Indiana will tip off the night in the Eastern Conference at 6:30 on TNT.

The Pelicans are gradually getting closer to full strength. Read Sunday’s injury report for New Orleans. On the Sacramento side, Chris Duarte (knee) is questionable. Alex Len (ankle) is out.

Expect a playoff-like atmosphere Monday in Golden 1 Center. The quarterfinal tips off a Week 7 for New Orleans that is mostly to be determined schedule-wise. If the Pelicans win Monday, they will face either Phoenix or the Lakers in Thursday’s semifinals (in Las Vegas). A loss would mean a Friday 7 p.m. home game vs. the loser of Suns-Lakers. The Dec. 9-10 weekend will either feature an appearance in Saturday’s championship game, or an opportunity to practice prior to a Dec. 11 home game vs. Minnesota.

How did the Pelicans emerge as one of the eight teams still in contention for the first NBA Cup? Some of their best performances this season have occurred in tournament play.

In addition to obvious In-Season Tournament implications, New Orleans also has a chance this week to gain ground on some of its West competitors. The Pelicans are 1.5 games behind Sacramento (11-7) and Phoenix (12-8) in the standings, as well as a game behind the seventh-place Lakers (12-9). Every game this week counts in team records, with the exception of Saturday’s IST championship in Las Vegas (those two teams will play 83 games in 2023-24).

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5 things to know about the Pelicans on Dec. 4, 2023

After a total of 60 November group-stage games were played within the NBA’s brand-new In-Season Tournament, the 2023 event heads to a conclusion this week, with eight teams competing over seven games in a single-elimination format. It’s the closest the league comes to replicating the survive-and-advance urgency of the NCAA Tournament, one of the nation’s most fan-friendly sports competitions.

When the In-Season Tournament concept was unveiled this summer, many basketball analysts suggested that the eight-club knockout stage might be most compelling – and most replicate the NCAA’s entertaining month of March – if it featured a mix of recent NBA title contenders, a Cinderella story or two, as well as a sprinkling of large and small markets.

An 11th-place finisher in the Eastern Conference last season, the Indiana Pacers qualify as a bona fide underdog who hails from a mid-sized city (Indianapolis’ population is 880,000). In the West, quarterfinal opponents New Orleans (370,000 population) and Sacramento (520,000) both fit the bill as small-market representatives. Amid rampant injuries, the Pelicans finished in ninth place last season, while the Kings were a No. 3 seed, but in doing so ended the longest playoff drought (16 seasons) in NBA history.

New Orleans has again battled key player absences early in the 2023-24 campaign, but the Pelicans (11-10 overall) are among the final eight teams in the In-Season Tournament because some of their finest performances occurred on the event’s brightly-colored courts. A case can be made that their two best home victories of ’23-24 so far were In-Season matchups vs. Denver (115-110 on Nov. 17) and Dallas (131-110 on Nov. 14). New Orleans’ only IST loss was a 104-101 nail-biter in Houston, decided in the final seconds. The Pelicans are just 1-3 overall in road games since Thanksgiving, but that one victory came on the LA Clippers’ home floor, an outcome that pushed the Pels to the top spot in West Group B.

Meanwhile, Sacramento (11-7) was one of only four teams that navigated the group stage unbeaten, joining Indiana, 2021 NBA champion Milwaukee and the Lakers at 4-0 each. The Kings posted impressive victories over fast-starting Oklahoma City and Minnesota in West Group C, then mounted a thrilling final-minute comeback over Golden State last week to remain perfect.

New Orleans has been particularly strong defensively during In-Season Tournament play, registering an efficiency of 105.9 points allowed per 100 possessions (via NBA.com). That’s compared to 112.5 in its 21 total games played. The Pelicans were fifth among the 30 teams in In-Season Tournament net rating, outscoring their four opponents by 9.3 points per 100 possessions, a figure that even surpassed Sacramento (7.5), despite the Kings going undefeated.

To advance to Las Vegas this week, the Pelicans will need to continue that level of performance Monday, this time in Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center, a difficult task. The Kings have the NBA’s sixth-best home record at 6-2, compared to a 5-5 road mark. New Orleans has a similar home/road discrepancy, going 8-4 in the Smoothie King Center, but just 3-6 in away games. Of course, two of those eight home triumphs came in tilts against Sacramento during the week of Thanksgiving. The Pelicans must beat the Kings for a third time over a 15-day span to earn a spot in a neutral-site game Thursday, in the In-Season Tournament semifinals.

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Nov. 20: at New Orleans 129, Sacramento 93

Nov. 22: at New Orleans 117, Sacramento 112

Dec. 4: at Sacramento, 9 p.m. (In-Season Tournament quarterfinal, Bally Sports, TNT)

Jan. 7: at Sacramento, 5 p.m. (Bally Sports)

April 11: at Sacramento, 9 p.m. (Bally Sports)

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Hawkins would love nothing more than to return to Las Vegas this week for the first time since earning the West Regional’s Most Outstanding Player award in March. For that to happen, his new team – the New Orleans Pelicans – must win Monday at Sacramento (9 p.m. Central, Bally Sports, TNT, WRNO 99.5 FM), in the single-elimination, quarterfinal round of the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament.

“Getting back there (to Las Vegas) would be pretty cool, bring back some memories,” said Hawkins, ranked third on NBA.com’s Rookie Ladder, behind only Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama. “It’s definitely going to be like one of those (March Madness) games, and I played pretty well in those games.”

Monday’s Western Conference matchup in Golden 1 Center between third-seeded New Orleans (11-10, won Group B at 3-1) and second-seeded Sacramento (11-7, won Group C at 4-0) will mark the third time the Pelicans and Kings have met in just a two-week span. New Orleans won consecutive home games on Nov. 20 and 22, prevailing by blowout (129-93) and in clutch time (117-112), respectively.

“I think it’s going to be a high-intensity game for a few reasons,” Pelicans third-year head coach Willie Green said recently of Monday’s contest. “We played Sac (in the Smoothie King Center) and beat them twice – they’re going to be ready to play us. The In-Season Tournament, the guys know what’s at stake. On the road, it’s going to be a hostile environment. It’s going to be kind of a playoff-intensity game for us.”

“I heard it’s really hard to play in Sac,” Hawkins said, when asked what veteran teammates have told him about the often-raucous environment in one of the NBA’s newer arenas. “I’ve been a part of some really hostile crowds in my career, especially playing in the Big East and playing in high-level conference games, the conference tournament, Final Four. It’s probably going to be like one of those. I haven’t played in a playoff game yet. I think it’s going to bring a little bit of that playoff atmosphere.”

As was the case for Sacramento, New Orleans wasn’t assured of a spot in the In-Season Tournament knockout stage until the final day of group-stage pool play Tuesday. Other than a 2022 playoff trip and a 2023 play-in game vs. Oklahoma City, the Pelicans don’t have much experience collectively in high-pressure, high-stakes games. Partly for that reason, they were pleased to advance in the In-Season Tournament. New Orleans won Group B outright, not needing a tiebreaker to do so.

“We’re happy that we made it,” point guard Jose Alvarado said. “First time ever (for tournament to exist). We’re learning more about it day by day. We’re learning how it goes.”

“They were excited,” Green said of his players’ reaction to Dallas beating Houston on Tuesday, clinching NOLA’s top spot in Group B. “Any time it’s the first time that the NBA is having something, and we’re a part of it, you want to celebrate that.”

“I think we had the best bracket or division,” Hawkins said, referring to the formidable competition in Group B. “To win our (group) with teams like the Mavs, Denver and the Rockets, that’s really good. We can look at that as a good sign for us.”

In addition to favorable In-Season Tournament results so far – New Orleans’ 3-1 record includes a plus-33 point differential – the Pelicans have enjoyed the brand-new concept. It brought a higher level of intensity and urgency to some November games, while also adding importance to other matchups in the West.

“It brings some extra attention from the fans,” center Jonas Valanciunas said of the interlocking aspect of the format. “You track the scores, different brackets. You get more interested. Yes, it counts as regular season games, but still, different courts, different uniforms. The tension is there. That’s great.”

“It brings playoff expectations earlier,” Alvarado said, referring to the lengthy six-month, 82-game regular season. “I think that’s something they’re trying to bring to the game.”

“It’s a pretty cool event,” Hawkins said. “I think it’s good for the game of basketball and will definitely bring more eyes into it, make it more competitive.”

New Orleans players seem in agreement that the debut of the In-Season Tournament has been a major positive for the NBA and the sport, particularly in creating more reasons for November/December games to be deemed as important. But the biggest plus for Pelicans players would come if they’re able to win three games this week and claim the event’s championship, not to mention the obvious financial benefit (each player on the title team will earn $500,000). All knockout-round games will provide a unique stage as well, nationally televised and the only NBA game occurring during each window on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday (semifinals) and Saturday (championship).

“We’re excited to be a part of it,” forward Zion Williamson said, prior to the Pelicans advancing to the quarterfinals. “I think this will be a great test for us, in terms of competing in a tournament or championship, because we haven’t won anything. I think we’re all excited.”

“It’s extremely exciting,” Hawkins said Saturday. “We have the opportunity to be a pioneer, as the first In-Season Tournament champions. That would be really cool.”

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