SACRAMENTO KINGS AT NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Friday, Oct. 19 (7 p.m.)
Why it’s on the list
For the first time in 10 years, New Orleans will play a home opener while coming off an advancement in the NBA playoffs, hosting a youthful, rebuilding Sacramento squad. The Kings may seem like a manageable guest on paper, but they actually were the source of significant frustration for the Pelicans last season, winning twice in the Smoothie King Center. Sacramento notched a 116-109 overtime victory over New Orleans and former Kings franchise player DeMarcus Cousins on Dec. 8, then beat the Pelicans again on the latter’s home floor without Cousins on Jan. 30, by a 114-103 margin. Strangely, the road team prevailed in all four New Orleans-Sacramento meetings last season, as the Pelicans won relatively comfortably in both visits to Golden 1 Center.
In its effort to get off to a much better start at home and overall in ’18-19, this is a first step for New Orleans, which has dropped each of its last three home openers (granted, two of those defeats were vs. juggernaut Golden State). The last time the Pelicans held the upper hand in home game No. 1 was October 2014, when Anthony Davis and Omer Asik combined for a staggering 40 points, 34 rebounds and 14 blocks vs. Orlando.
Where it falls on the New Orleans schedule
The regular season overall begins in Houston for the Pelicans, prior to a four-game homestand that begins with this Sacramento matchup, followed by meetings vs. the Clippers, Brooklyn and Utah. New Orleans was disappointed by its 24-17 home record last season, so this will be an opportunity to get on a much better pace in that category. The first four home tilts in November are all against teams that did not make the playoffs (Chicago, Phoenix, New York, Denver).
What’s new in Sacramento
The Kings have been stocking their roster with high lottery picks in recent years and this summer added No. 2 draft choice Marvin Bagley, a productive scorer and rebounder from Duke. Sacramento figures to be a deeper team with more veteran experience, having landed forward Nemanja Bjelica (free agent from Minnesota), guard Yogi Ferrell (free agent, Dallas) and guard Ben McLemore (trade, Memphis). LSU product and steady veteran role player Garrett Temple was sent to Memphis in the McLemore deal.
Other 2018-19 games between these two teams
Sunday, Dec. 23, New Orleans at Sacramento
Thursday, March 28, Sacramento at New Orleans
Sunday, April 7, New Orleans at Sacramento
