Pelicans Host Kings as Both Teams Seek First Win of Season
New Orleans played without guard Dejounte Murray, who missed Thursday's matchup to celebrate the birth of his son.
The New Orleans Pelicans welcomed the Sacramento Kings to the Smoothie King Center on Thursday night, with both squads entering the hardwood searching for their first victory of the young NBA season. The matchup brought together two teams looking to reverse early struggles, featuring Sacramento's core alongside New Orleans star Zion Williamson.
Prior to tipoff, Pelicans head coach Jamahl Mosley announced that starting guard Dejounte Murray would miss the game to be with his family following the birth of his son. Mosley praised the organization's family-first approach, stating that supporting players during major life events remains a core value of the team.
“Being there with his family is exciting for him,” Mosley said. “That’s something we talk about leaning into. The way we run the organization is like a family and being able to take care of these guys and him being able to stay home and take care of them.”
Murray has been a major contributor for New Orleans this season, averaging 17.8 points, 6 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game. His absence added to the team's backcourt depth challenges, as fellow guard Jordan Poole was also sidelined due to a left ankle sprain sustained during Wednesday's loss to the Denver Nuggets.
To compensate for the missing personnel, the Pelicans adjusted their starting lineup against Sacramento. The opening five featured Jeremiah Fears, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson, and Karlo Matkovic, marking the first starts of the season for both Jones and Matkovic.
On the opposing side, the Sacramento Kings arrived in New Orleans aiming to spark an offense that has struggled to find consistency in the early weeks of the schedule. Entering the contest, Sacramento averaged 107.8 points per game while ranking in the bottom ten league-wide in field goal percentage and three-point shooting.
Despite both teams holding identical winless records heading into the game, analysts pointed to the high combined averages of points surrendered to opponents as an indicator of a potentially high-scoring affair at the Smoothie King Center. The matchup offered both franchises an immediate opportunity to correct course and secure their inaugural win of the campaign.