New Orleans @ Sacramento preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 4, 2020 ) New Orleans 117, Sacramento 115

The New Orleans Pelicans are receiving more attention as they make a run at the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference due to the hype surrounding rookie forward Zion Williamson, but the Sacramento Kings have just as good a shot at jumping up and grabbing a postseason berth. The two teams will square off Wednesday when the Kings host Williamson and the Pelicans.

New Orleans and Sacramento each sit four games behind the Memphis Grizzlies entering play on Tuesday and the Pelicans come in with some momentum after winning the last two, including a 120-107 triumph at Minnesota on Sunday in which they held the Timberwolves to 39.4 percent from the floor to overcome some turnover issues. "I thought we did a fairly good job," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters of the defensive effort. "We still had too many straight-line drives to the basket. Overall, I thought we did a good job. We were horrendous from an offensive standpoint as far as taking care of the basketball, 25 turnovers for 30 points. You aren't going to win very many games doing that." The Kings are winners of seven of their last 10 games but dropped the opener of the four-game homestand 118-113 to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday despite a huge game from the reserves. Sacramento's bench outscored Toronto's reserves 51-7 and is a big part of the team's recent run up the standings.

TIME: 10:30 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN, FS New Orleans, NBCS California, Sportsnet One

ABOUT THE PELICANS (28-36): Williamson continues to thrive and scored 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting on Sunday, pushing his season averages to 23.6 points on 58.9 percent shooting in 19 games, but the star of the win was guard Jrue Holiday. The 29-year-old collected a season-high 37 points on 13-of-20 shooting, nine rebounds and eight assists while committing only one of the team's 25 turnovers. "(Holiday) was really good tonight," All-Star forward Brandon Ingram told reporters. "I think on the offensive end and defensive end he was kinda always in rhythm for us tonight. He got into the lane, he made shots in the lane and from the outside, he knocked down open threes. On the defensive end he got stops and pushed it down the floor, so that is something we have been seeing from him all year."

ABOUT THE KINGS (28-36): Sacramento is 13-7 since coach Luke Walton moved shooting guard Buddy Hield into a reserve role, though Hield continues to be unhappy with the move. The former New Orleans guard was one of three reserves in double figures with 11 points on Sunday and is averaging 19.4 points while shooting 47.6 percent from 3-point range as a reserve but was kept on the bench the entire fourth quarter against the Raptors. Hield, who declined to speak to the media after the loss, collected 24 points while matching a season high with 12 rebounds in a 117-115 home loss to New Orleans on Jan. 4.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Kings PG De'Aaron Fox scored 28 points on Sunday and posted 20 or more in eight of nine games since the All-Star break.

2. Pelicans PG Lonzo Ball is averaging 20.8 points in five games this month after averaging 10.2 in February.

3. New Orleans owns a three-game winning streak in the series, including two straight victories at Sacramento.

PREDICTION: Pelicans 114, Kings 108