Pelicans drop Kings into 3-way tie for 8th in West

CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson scored 31 points apiece and the New Orleans Pelicans scored a key win in the Western Conference playoff race with a 135-123 triumph over the host Sacramento Kings on Thursday night.

Trey Murphy III (27 points) contributed three 3-pointers and three free throws to a 34-11, game-opening run for the Pelicans (48-32), who retained a one-game lead over the Phoenix Suns in the battle for the West's sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot with just two games to play.

De'Aaron Fox had a game-high 33 points for the Kings (45-35), whose loss and Golden State's win at Portland created a three-way tie, along with the Los Angeles Lakers, for the eighth spot in the West, two games back of the No. 7 Suns.

Thanks to the game-opening flurry, Pelicans never trailed while completing a rare five-game, season-series sweep over the Kings.

The burst began with a 9-0 run that included two hoops by Jonas Valanciunas and was capped by the first of Murphy's three early 3-pointers.

McCollum, Herbert Jones and Jose Alvarado later contributed 3-pointers to the run, which opened the 34-11 advantage in the game's 10th minute.

The Kings rallied within six by halftime and got as close as 76-73 just before the midpoint of the third quarter on a layup by Harrison Barnes. But New Orleans kept the hosts at arm's length the rest of the night, gradually pulling away over the game's final 18 minutes.

McCollum's 31 points came mostly on 9-for-12 shooting on 3-pointers. With Murphy nailing 6-for-12 from beyond the arc, the Pelicans shot 55 percent (22 of 40) from 3-point range, outscoring the Kings 66-48 from deep.

McCollum also found time for a team-high seven assists, while Valanciunas chipped in with a game-high-tying 10 rebounds to complement 13 points for New Orleans, which won its third straight. Alvarado (14) and Dyson Daniels (10) aided the cause with a combined 24 points off the bench.

Barnes backed Fox, who had a game-high eight assists, with 22 points for the Kings, while Keegan Murray finished with 19, Davion Mitchell 13 and Domantas Sabonis a double-double with 18 points and a game-high-tying 10 rebounds.