Zion Williamson scored 31 points and Brandon Ingram added 22 as the New Orleans Pelicans ended a five-game losing streak by hanging on for a 128-123 victory over the host Sacramento Kings on Sunday.
Eric Bledsoe had a season-high 21 points as the Pelicans won a game for the first time since Jan. 2 against the Toronto Raptors. New Orleans is now 1-2 on a six-game road trip that originally was scheduled for seven games before a matchup at Dallas on Jan. 11 was postponed.
De'Aaron Fox scored a career-high 43 points with 13 assists for the Kings, while Marvin Bagley III added 26 points and 10 rebounds as Sacramento lost for the fifth time in its last six games. The Kings went 2-5 during their just-completed stretch of seven consecutive home games.
The Pelicans led by 19 in the first half and 17 after halftime, but the Kings pulled within 116-115 with 3:18 remaining on a dunk by Fox while driving into a wide-open lane.
A quick 6-0 run gave the Pelicans a 122-115 lead before baskets by Bagley and Richaun Holmes got the Kings within three at 122-119.
Bagley had a 3-point attempt with 42.4 seconds remaining to tie the game but the shot bounced off the rim.
New Orleans closed it out from there on free throws from Steven Adams, JJ Redick and Nickeil Alexander-Williams. Adams, who entered 44.8 percent from the free throw line, hit four consecutive shots from the foul line in the final 3:16.
Williamson went 13 of 15 from the field and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line while delivering his second-most points of the season. Redick had 14 points, while Adams added 12 with 15 rebounds. Jaxson Hayes scored 11 points for New Orleans.
Buddy Hield added 18 points for Sacramento, while Holmes had 16.
After a back-and-forth first quarter, the Pelicans pushed their lead to 19 points at 53-34 less than five minutes into the second period. Sacramento fought their way back to trail 67-58 at halftime.
New Orleans' 17-point second-half lead at 93-76 came with 4:52 remaining in the third quarter.
--Field Level Media
