Achiuwa Bags 24 Points as Kings Fall to Pelicans

Nigeria’s D’Tigers forward Precious Achiuwa delivered an impressive performance with 24 points, but it was not enough to prevent the Sacramento Kings from suffering a 132-120 defeat to the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA on Thursday night.

The Kings suffered their fifth consecutive defeat of the 2026/27 season after the Pelicans took control of the contest at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.

Achiuwa played for 41 minutes, shooting 12 of 17 from the field to finish with 24 points and nine rebounds. He also recorded two assists and four steals in an energetic all-round display.

Despite his contribution, Sacramento struggled to contain New Orleans after making a promising start. The Kings won the opening quarter 30-24 before the Pelicans responded with a 39-31 second quarter to take a narrow halftime lead.

New Orleans increased the pressure after the break, outscoring Sacramento 39-27 in the third quarter to establish a commanding advantage. Although the Kings won the final quarter 32-30, they could not recover from the deficit.

Rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. led Sacramento with a game-high 34 points, alongside 14 assists and six rebounds. De’Andre Hunter also contributed 24 points, while Zach LaVine added 21.

Domantas Sabonis recorded 15 rebounds and seven assists but finished with nine points as Sacramento struggled with turnovers, committing 25 during the game.

For the Pelicans, rookie guard Jeremiah Fears and forward Zion Williamson led the scoring with 22 points each. Fears also recorded 13 assists and eight rebounds, while Williamson converted 10 of his 12 field-goal attempts.

The victory gave New Orleans its first win of the season under head coach Jamahl Mosley, improving its record to 1-4. Sacramento, meanwhile, dropped to 0-5.

The Kings will look to recover in their next fixture against the Memphis Grizzlies.