Sports

It looks like the Pelicans are the new Warriors; the Kings just can’t beat them. The first round of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament took place on Monday and Tuesday, December 4th and 5th, and the game between the Sacramento Kings and the New Orleans Pelicans was not particularly close. The Kings got off to a great start, scoring the first 5 points and leading by 14 at one point in the first quarter, but the Pelicans shrunk the Kings’ lead to one by the end of the quarter, and it was all downhill from there. The Kings did their usual third-quarter run and got within five points late in the quarter, but the Pelicans never gave up control. It was nothing short of disappointing to see, and it gives me some fear about the Kings’ abilities to win a playoff series. And we can’t even blame it on the Pelican’s star player, Zion Williamson, because he only had 10 points.

I wish I could be talking about the Kings playing in the next round, but alas, it will be the Pelicans that move on to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the semifinals on Thursday, December 7th. That’s right, the Lakers also advanced to the next round; LeBron James and Anthony Davis showed that they aren’t washed up and posted 58 points between the two of them to beat the Phoenix Suns, 106-103, to advance to the Semifinals. As for the Eastern Conference, Tyrese Haliburton, who you may remember as the Kings’ first-round pick in 2020, had his first career triple-double, including 26 points and zero turnovers, and led the Indiana Pacers to come from behind to beat the top-seeded team in the East, the Boston Celtics; and the Milwaukee Bucks completely dominated the New York Knicks. Everyone was worried how the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard were playing together after starting the season 5-4, but they seem to be hitting their stride, winning 10 of their last 12 games to join Boston at the top of the Eastern Conference.

Some of these In-Season Tournament games have been absolutely amazing, giving playoff vibes at the beginning of the season, so I can’t wait to see how the next rounds go. The semifinals will be this Thursday, December 7th, when the Los Angeles Lakers will take on the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Milwaukee Bucks will play the Indiana Pacers. The winners of those games will face off in the Finals on Saturday, December 9th, and the winning team will bring home the first NBA Cup. Luckily, some very smart person decided to start the kids’ Christmas Show at 4 p.m. this year, so I can make it home in time to catch what I’m sure is going to be some exciting NBA Basketball.

The Kings will be headed to Phoenix to play the Suns on Friday, December 8th. They will play at home against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, December 11th, and will go to Los Angeles to play the Clippers on Tuesday, December 12th. The In-Season Tournament might be over for the Kings, but the season is young. Let’s get some wins and light that beam!