The key facts

  • New Orleans beat Sacramento 132:120 and snapped a losing streak (1-4)
  • Jeremiah Fears — 22 points and 13 assists, Zion Williamson added 22 points
  • Sacramento — 0-5, one of two winless teams along with Brooklyn (0-4)

Pelicans' first win

The New Orleans Pelicans earned their first win of the NBA regular season, beating the Sacramento Kings 132:120 on Thursday. AFP reports this. The decisive contribution came from 20-year-old Jeremiah Fears, who recorded a double-double — 22 points and 13 assists — to go along with eight rebounds, four blocks and two steals. Zion Williamson added 22 points, and in total seven players on the winning side scored in double figures. With the win, New Orleans moved to 1-4.

The Kings remain winless

Despite the loss, Sacramento once again saw a standout performance from its rookie. Darius Acuff Jr., selected seventh overall in the June draft, scored 34 points and dished out 14 assists, surpassing his previous career high of 33 points set a week earlier against Portland. De'Andre Hunter and Precious Achiuwa added 24 points apiece, but the team fell to 0-5 and remains one of two winless teams in the league — along with the Brooklyn Nets (0-4).

Atlanta snaps losing streak

In another game of the evening, the Atlanta Hawks, who had lost three in a row, earned their first home win of the season by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 114:111. The hosts decided the outcome in the third quarter, which they won by a margin of 43 points. Onyeka Okongwu recorded 29 points and 12 rebounds, Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 25 points, and Aaron Wiggins added 20 off the bench. For Cleveland, which led by as many as 15 points in the second quarter, James Harden scored 24 points and Donovan Mitchell 22. Mitchell cut the deficit to 112:111 with 20.6 seconds left, but after Alexander-Walker's two free throws he missed two three-pointers that could have tied the game.

What's next

In a late game on Thursday, the undefeated Portland hosted the also unbeaten Memphis. For Ja Morant, it was his first meeting with his former team since the trade: the Grizzlies drafted him second overall in 2019, in Memphis he was named Rookie of the Year in 2020 and spent seven seasons marked, besides star play, by two lengthy suspensions. Last season was limited for him by injuries — he managed to play only 20 games.