Kings Lose the Game to Pelicans, But Win the More Important Battle

The Sacramento Kings fell 120-94 to the New Orleans Pelicans and extend their losing streak to 13, but they get a much needed loss?

Feb 1, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) grabs a rebound during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

In a battle for the ages, the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans, the two worst teams in the Western Conference, met with high stakes on the line. Not a playoff berth or shot at the Play-In tournament, but the lottery odds that are approaching ever so quickly.

Sadly, the Kings' season has come to this, where a 120-94 loss to the Pelicans is a better thing for the franchise. Sacramento isn't trying to lose, but whether they are trying to or not, they just keep losing, as the streak now sits at a Sacramento Era of 13 straight.

But the Kings are jockeying for position at the bottom of the standings, but thankfully for Sacramento, the Pelicans have nothing to gain by losing. Their pick is on its way to the Atlanta Hawks regardless, so compared to when the Kings face the other lottery-bound teams, New Orleans has no incentive to win.

With that all said, the game was ugly tonight. Yes, winning isn't important to the Kings, but growth and improvement is. And tonight, there weren't many positive takeaways in a game the Pelicans controlled the game. But here are three things we learned as the Kings fall to 12-43.

Rookie Shines

Easily the bright spot of the game for the Kings tonight was rookie big man Maxime Raynaud. He finished the night with 21 points, 19 rebounds, an assist, and a steal on 8-of-14 shooting from the field. He played a team-high 38:08 minutes in what was easily the best game of his young career.

When he was drafted, many were excited about Raynaud's offensive potential. And he showed that tonight as he topped the 20-point mark for the third time this season. His touch around the rim is impressive for a rookie, and tonight he was aggressive and attacked the basket more than we've seen recently.

Maxime Raynaud tonight:

21 points
8/14 FG
20 rebounds
1 assist
1 steal

Everything else is irrelevant. pic.twitter.com/55qGwWHEG2

— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) February 10, 2026

But in that same draft review for Raynaud, many questioned his physicality and rebounding. It was easy to see why early in the season, but just like with almost every facet of the game, Raynaud has improved drastically on the boards this year. And it all culminated tonight as he grabbed 19 rebounds.

Raynaud has immense potential as a 7-foot-1 skilled big. Dylan Cardwell has been getting most of the attention lately, and even Nique Clifford has gotten the headlines lately. But tonight was a big reminder of the high ceiling and potential that Raynaud has in front of him.

Veteran Struggles Continue

Feb 4, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard/forward DeMar DeRozan (10) shoots against the Memphis Grizzlies during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

While Raynaud shined, the veterans struggled once again tonight. There weren't many that played, as Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and Malik Monk were all out, but Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan struggled to get anything going against the length of the Pelicans.

It wasn't just the two of them that struggled, but the shots just aren't falling for DeRozan, who shot an uncharacteristic 3-of-11 from the field, and Westbrook shot a team-high 17 times. It's the type of game where someone has to take shots, but the decision making and precision just wasn't there tonight.

The Kings will have another tank battle for the ages on Wednesday as they head to Utah to take on the Jazz.