Game time: 5:00 p.m. PDT
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA.
Broadcast Information: KHTK Sports 1140 (Radio), Comcast SportsNet California (Local Television)
Sacramento Kings Probable Starters (8-5)
PG: Ramon Sessions
SG: Ben McLemore
SF: Derrick Williams
PF: Jason Thompson
C: DeMarcus Cousins
New Orleans Pelicans Probable Starters (7-5)
PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Austin Rivers
SF: Tyreke Evans
PF: Anthony Davis
C: Alexis Ajinca
Three things to ponder
1. A clash of titans
The Kings will have their hands full with Anthony Davis, who scored 28 points in Sacramento on Nov. 18 and dropped a career-high 43 points on the Utah Jazz Saturday. The young face of the Pelicans franchise is blossoming into a star much like DeMarcus Cousins, and the bigs will likely be compared to each other for the rest of their careers.
2. Defending the deep ball
In the last meeting, the Pelicans teed off from outside, as the Kings left their men on the perimeter with numerous open looks. Eric Gordon, who shot 3-of-6 from behind the arc in Round One, will miss the game due to a shoulder injury, but Ryan Anderson, Luke Babbit, Austin Rivers and Jimmer Fredette can easily the fill the void.
3. A need for steals
Last time, Jrue Holiday orchestrated the Pelicans offense to perfection, dishing out nine assists to zero turnovers in their win. It’s no coincidence that New Orleans ranks second in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.14). Sacramento needs to place an emphasis on pressuring the ball handler and denying entry passes.
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