Jeremiah Fears flirted with his first career triple-double and the New Orleans Pelicans broke into the win column for the first time this season with a 132-120 triumph over the visiting Sacramento Kings on Thursday.
Fears and Zion Williamson each scored 22 points for New Orleans, which was playing 24 hours after taking a fourth straight season-opening defeat, 104-91 at home against the Denver Nuggets.
Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. poured in a season-best 34 points for Sacramento, the first team in the league to lose five games this campaign.
After watching the Kings go up by as many as eight points in the early going, the Pelicans used second- and third-quarter runs to take a lead and then pull away from the visitors.
Derik Queen book-ended a 12-0 burst early in the second quarter with a 3-pointer and a short jumper, allowing New Orleans to take a 36-32 advantage.
The Kings hung within 67-65 after an Acuff drive to the hoop in the second minute of the third period. But New Orleans then took command for good with a 21-4 flurry in which Fears and Trey Murphy III drilled consecutive 3-pointers and Williamson contributed six points.
Sacramento still had a chance at 113-106 after a Zach LaVine 3-pointer with 7:11 to play, but New Orleans then ran off the next 10 points before coasting home.
Fears finished with his fourth career double-double, complementing his season-best point total with a career-best 13 assists. He missed a triple-double by two rebounds while also recording four blocks and two steals.
Murphy chipped in with 19 points, Herbert Jones 16, Karlo Matkovic 12, and Saddiq Bey and Ben Mathurin 10 apiece for the Pelicans, who were playing for the second time on a three-game homestand. Williamson had five steals.
Acuff’s 34 points surpassed his previous season-high of 33 recorded in his second NBA game, against Portland on Oct. 23. He hit 13 of his 26 shots and also found time for season bests in assists (14) and rebounds (six).
De’Andre Hunter and Precious Achiuwa had 24 points apiece and LaVine totaled 21 for the Kings. Domantas Sabonis was the game’s leading rebounder with 15 to go with nine points and seven assists, though he committed seven turnovers.
