It was an emotional Thursday night for DeMarcus Cousins and his New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans were on the road on Thursday, playing against the Sacramento Kings in Cousins' first game against the team that drafted him in 2010. The Kings traded Cousins to the Pelicans last season, and many expected this to be a very intense game for both sides. New Orleans was shorthanded in this one since they played without Anthony Davis.
DeMarcus leads New Orleans to the win
The home team opened up the game with an impressive first quarter. They were already in front by 19 points (25-6) early in the period and held a 40-27 lead after the first quarter.
There was little defense played by both teams in this one, especially in the first half. The Kings had a 70-56 lead at halftime and it looked like they were on their way to an easy victory.
However, the Pelicans turned this game around in the third quarter. They outscored Sacramento 32-17 in the third period and held an 88-87 lead heading into the fourth quarter. It was a back-and-forth affair in the final period of the game, but the away squad was the more focused one. With the score tied at 102 late in the game, the Pelicans closed out the game with a 12-4 run, winning it 114-106.
In his first game in Sacramento against the Kings, DeMarcus Cousins had a special performance. He finished the game with 41 points, 23 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Jrue Holiday added 20 points and 7 assists for the Pelicans, while Jameer Nelson had 18 points and 6 assists.
For the Kings, De'Aaron Fox led the way with 14 points and 5 assists. Zach Randolph added 13 points and 9 rebounds, while Bogdan Bogdanovic contributed with 10 points and 4 assists.
Griffin hits the game-winning shot for the Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers were on the road on Thursday playing against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Clippers started off the game with a 30-point first quarter, outscoring Portland 30-24 in the period. They held their lead throughout the second quarter as well and at halftime, it was 62-53 for the Clippers.
Portland answered with a great third quarter of their own, outscoring Los Angeles 26-18 in the third period.
Heading into the final quarter of the game, the Clippers held an 80-79 lead. Teams went back and forth in the final 12 minutes of the game, hitting big shots and switching leads. With less than five seconds left in the game and Portland leading 103-101, the Clippers had the possession and one last chance to win the game. Blake Griffin took the ball and shot a three-pointer to win the game, and it went in. The Clippers won the game at the buzzer with the final score 104-103.
Blake Griffin led the way for Los Angeles with 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. Austin Rivers added 16 points, while Danilo Gallinari contributed with 16 points and 3 assists.
Damian Lillard was the leading scorer for the Trail Blazers in this one. He finished with 25 points and also added 6 assists. C.J. McCollum contributed with 23 points and 5 rebounds, while Jusuf Nurkic added 12 points and 8 rebounds for Portland.
