SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nazi Marshall wasn’t happy with the Sacramento Kingsand he wanted to let them know it.
It started in the second quarter, when New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valančiūnas and Kings forward Trey Lyles had to be separated after the two got tied up under the basket going after a rebound. While the altercation was quickly resolved on the court, Marshall wasn’t done with the issue.
Marshall and Lyles met at the scorer’s table later in the second half, allowing Marshall to seize an opportunity to express his displeasure with Lyles going after his teammate. When Kings center JaVale McGee jumped in to aid Lyles, Marshall shared a few choice words with McGee before they were separated.
With a trip to Las Vegas on the line, the Pelicans’ self-appointed enforcer wanted to make it clear that any form of intimidation wouldn’t be tolerated.
JaVale McGee and Naji Marshall sharing words 👀 pic.twitter.com/kyiWNPlL7U
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 5, 2023
“I wanted to see what’s up with him,” Marshall said. “We don’t do no sucker punches.”
The Pelicans moved past the literal and figurative punches thrown by Sacramento on Monday night to pull off a hard-nosed 127-117 victorypunching their ticket to the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals. They’ll play the winner of Tuesday’s game between the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday for a spot in Saturday’s championship contest.
And Marshall’s bold face-off with Lyles and McGee embodied the Pelicans’ attitude going into the night. They wanted all the smoke. They were unafraid.
The Pelicans showed a mental fortitude they’ve been forced to forge over the past three years due to the myriad injuries and other unfortunate circumstances that have prevented meaningful moments of triumph like Monday’s. Even though this year’s team has earned a reputation for throwing away winnable games on the road, they refused to let this one slip away.
“Our guys are resilient. They’re a resilient group. They have heart, and they’ll put it on the floor night in and night out,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “That’s what that team is about. That’s what we’re built to be. … They give me everything they have, and I’m grateful for the character in that locker room.”
It took great resilience for the Pelicans to overcome the tidal wave of emotion that crashed down on them in the first quarter. It was no surprise to see the Kings so locked in after losing back-to-back games against the Pels in New Orleans a few weeks ago, including a 36-point beatdown on Nov. 20. But the initial punch Sacramento threw was even more potent than the Pels could’ve imagined. The Kings drilled 12 of their first 14 attempts from the field, racing to a 32-17 lead in the first quarter as the Golden 1 Center crowd went into a frenzy.
However, the Pels answered that initial blow with a flurry of their own. Marshall and Jose Alvarado changed the energy of the game off the bench, and Herb Jones’ long-range tip-in off a missed free throw ultimately allowed the Pelicans to end the first quarter trailing by just one point.
Herb Jones with the tough putback to end the 1Q! 🔥
🏆 NBA In-Season Tournament pic.twitter.com/z32VDJGamQ
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 5, 2023
From there, New Orleans seized control and never looked back. Alvarado nailed a 3-pointer early in the second quarter to give the Pelicans a lead they would not relinquish. The Pelicans eventually built a 15-point lead of their own by matching Sacramento’s early energy with big-time shot making and relentless defensive activity. They picked up 21 deflections and 12 steals while disrupting Sacramento’s high-powered offensive attack.
As impressive as it was for the Pelicans to dig themselves out of that initial hole, it was equally awe-inspiring to see them repeatedly squash every attempt the Kings made to generate a second-half push. The focus New Orleans maintained from the middle of the first quarter through the final buzzer had not been duplicated often this season, even in their victories. If anything, it displayed just how good this team can be when it remains connected, confident and, of course, largely healthy for one of the first times this season.
“When they were on their run, we kind of looked at each other like, ‘We’re straight,’” Zion Williamson said confidently after the game. “We beat them twice at home. So, we expect them to come out with that type of energy. I think we just responded well.”
GO DEEPER
Kings eliminated from In-Season Tournament by Pelicans
It helped that Brandon Ingram established himself early on as the best player on the floor. With Williamson, who scored just 10 points in 28 minutes, struggling to find his offensive rhythm, Ingram took control with his pace, playmaking and, most importantly, otherworldly perimeter shot making.
That B.I. Bounce pic.twitter.com/RzFmvmKZYW
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 5, 2023
Ingram ended the night with 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists. He was unfazed by the Kings’ overt attempts to bump him off his spots, taking exactly what their defense gave him and coming up with answers every time they started gathering momentum. It was a performance reminiscent of his spectacular play during the 2022 postseason, when the Pelicans pushed the top-seeded Suns to six games without Williamson, and a reminder that he can go toe-to-toe with any star left in the Pelicans’ path the rest of the tournament.
“B.I. was incredible,” Green said. “He put us on his shoulders and he carried us. He hit big shot after big shot. Whenever we needed a big bucket, we put it in his hands. He’s a big-time player.”
Ingram had plenty of help While Kings All-Stars De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis each put up big numbers, it was clear Jones was the game’s second most impactful player. His energy on both ends gave Sacramento fits the entire night, and his added offensive punch (23 points, five rebounds and five assists) was needed on a night when Williamson was held in check. Jones also defended Fox most of the night, playing a significant role in the Kings’ point guard shooting 10 of 25 from the field while committing six turnovers.
Jones’ ascension as an offensive weapon in his third NBA season makes a massive difference for the Pelicans. Yet his increased offensive production hasn’t caused his defensive effort to slip in the slightest. Take this play late in the fourth quarter:
The Pels are up 12, and Jones still:
- Cuts off a Fox drive to the basket;
- Walls off Sabonis before he has a chance to get a layup;
- Forces what should’ve been a travel by Malik Monk with his initial shot contest;
- Follows up with another contest to get the blocked shot from behind
Meanwhile, the Pelicans’ bench swung the game early and maintained a spark that lasted throughout the night. With this being just the second game this season with Zion, Ingram, McCollum and Trey Murphy all in the lineup, many of the other players on the team were able to fall into their natural roles. Alvarado and Marshall both provided energy plays while creating turnovers on defense. McCollum could pick his spots to make timely shots when New Orleans needed offense. Valančiūnas was as solid as ever in the middle with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Murphy, who played just his second game of the season, tallied 18 points off the bench and went 3-of-8 from 3.
Even with the high-end talent of Ingram, Williamson and McCollum, the Pelicans’ identity comes from rugged role players such as Jones, Marshall and Alvarado.
“That’s what makes us special. We’re a deep team,” Williamson said. “Tonight, I felt like I had a lot of bad turnovers that I shouldn’t have. I didn’t play too well. But we were still up 13, 15 late in the game. I think that just shows how locked in everybody is. If we stay locked in, we can do something really special.”
Regardless of what happens from here, just getting to the semifinals of this tournament is a meaningful moment for the Pels. This group, in particular, has dealt with so much adversity, with almost every important figure on the roster suffering some sort of injury in the past few years. Getting a taste of success, especially when it includes a strong response to an early deficit, is essential to the team’s continued evolution.
“It’s been a long season. … It’s been a difficult season for sure,” McCollum said. “But I think we’re getting healthy at the right time with enough time to come together, build some chemistry and build some camaraderie.”
Get The Bouncea daily NBA Newsletter from Zach Harper and Shams Charania, in your inbox every morning. Sign up here.
(Top photo of Herb Jones’ dunk: Rocky Widner / NBAE via Getty Images)
