A clash at the bottom of the Western Conference. Who will claim their first win of the season?
Both sides have started with an identical 0-4 record, and there appears to be no short-term fix in sight.
In Sacramento they have lost Ben Simmons and the project is a complete shambles. In New Orleans they are failing yet again, and we have lost count… A project that looks set to hit the trade market soon.
Jordan Poole and, above all, his team-mate Herbert Jones could move in the coming days.
The situation is identical in Sacramento with Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis. They are surplus to requirements there and have been looking for a way out since last season.
Kings vs Pelicans date and time
Date: 29 October 2026.
Time: These are the Kings vs Pelicans start times by time zone.
| United Kingdom | 00:00 |
| Dominican Republic, USA (Boston, New York and Miami), Puerto Rico and Venezuela | 18:00 |
| Mexico (central), USA (Texas and Chicago), El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua | 16:00 |
| Mexico (Pacific) and USA (Los Angeles) | 16:00 |
| Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay | 19:00 |
| Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Panama | 19:00 |
Venue: Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Kings vs Pelicans starting fives
| Kings | Pelicans |
| Darius Acuff Jr. | Dejounte Murray |
| Zach LaVine | Jeremiah Fears |
| De’Andre Hunter | Trey Murphy III |
| Precious Achiuwa | Zion Williamson |
| Domantas Sabonis | DeAndre Jordan |
Kings vs Pelicans: best bet
The Pelicans are the nominal favourites against the Kings, who are another shambles.
Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. is giving everything he has. LaVine is going downhill with no brakes, and Domantas Sabonis does not quite know what he is still doing in this project.
The Lithuanian is one of the few decent players on the team, and the best thing that could happen to him is to leave in the short term.
It is fair to assume the Pelicans have the better starting five, and a better roster in general, and that tonight they are aiming for their first win of the year.
Latest on the Kings: injuries and form
The Californians have four confirmed absentees for tonight’s game in New Orleans:
- Ben Simmons, out for the whole season (Achilles tendon)
- Keegan Murray (ankle)
- Dylan Cardwell (calf)
- Maxime Raynaud (knee)
Player to watch: Domantas Sabonis
The Kings are too small for Domantas Sabonis. The Lithuanian big man has been one of the few decent players at the start of the season, and given the state of the team, they will surely look to move him sooner rather than later.
In his first four official games he has put up 19 points, 16.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game.
Latest on the Pelicans: injuries and form
Yves Missi and his team-mate Jordan Poole are late doubts due to minor knee and ankle problems respectively.
In the last game the big man was unavailable and his place in the starting five went to the veteran DeAndre Jordan.
Player to watch: Zion Williamson
Just as Ben Simmons shoots threes every summer, each year we get a slimmer, fitter Zion, but the Pelicans’ results remain the same. In other words, frankly poor.
Despite continuity in approach and some more than notable players, the team as a whole keeps getting bad results. They need to give their roster a jolt with an aggressive move that lets them improve.
Zion is averaging 21.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per night.
Kings vs Pelicans: head-to-head record
Last season the Pelicans won the series 2-1 against Sacramento. The third and final game had little motivation for either side, as nothing was at stake.
- 10 February: New Orleans win 120-94 with 21 points from Murphy III.
- 6 March: New Orleans win 133-123 with 23 points from Zion.
- 4 April: Sacramento win 117-113 with 29 points from Raynaud.
Kings vs Pelicans predictions
- Triple-double for Domantas Sabonis.
- 20+ shot attempts for LaVine and rookie Acuff Jr.
- 20+ points for Zion Williamson.
- Double-digit scoring for Dejounte Murray.
Where to watch Kings vs Pelicans
The game between the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans will be available in the UK via an NBA League Pass subscription.
