Kings Rookies Shine in Hard Fought Win Over Pelicans

This. This is what the final stretch of the Sacramento Kings season has been missing so far. A game where the young players lead the charge to win a close contest. The Kings have won games here and there over the last handful of games, but it's always felt like a veteran or single player leading the charge.

But tonight felt different. It was all on the young guys down the stretch, and they showed out to get a close win against the Pelicans, taking down New Orleans 117-113. Yes, the Pelicans are also a bad basketball team, with their record slipping to 25-53, but they had their big name players on the court to close out the game.

With their pick headed to the Atlanta Hawks, regardless of record, they have no insentive to lose. Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Saidq Bey were all on the court in the final minutes, while the Kings had Devin Carter, Nique Clifford, Daeqwon Plowden, Maxime Raynaud, and Dylan Cardwell in for the final six minutes of the game.

We've seen Doug Christie go with this lineup throughout the season, but they haven't had much of a chance to win close games to this point, so it was a great way for the young players to get some great developmental minutes and come away with the win.

Rookies Shine

Apr 3, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Dylan Cardwell (32) reacts after blocking a shot by New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (not shown) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

In particular, it was the rookie trio of Clifford, Raynaud, and Cardwell that shined.

Raynaud had a team-high 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists on 11-of-14 from the field. Clifford had 23, 5, and 7 on 9-of-16 and 4-of-6 from three. And Cardwell may have scored just 6 points, but he had 8 rebounds and an astounding 5 blocks off the bench in his best game by far since returning from injury.

His block on Williamson, in particular, was one of the most incredible defensive plays of the Kigns season. It's not often defensive highlights will be shown first for games, but that was the play of the game and a reminder of Cardwell's elite defensive potential against one of the best players in the league at getting to and finishing at the rim in Williamson.

Dylan Cardwell with a huge block on Zion Williamson on a potential go-ahead bucket with 16.8 left in the fourth. pic.twitter.com/5VCBI8iOSu
— Mark Haynes (@markhaynesnba) April 4, 2026

On the heels of winning the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award, Raynaud continued his case for an All-Rookie team selection. He just keeps getting better and better and looking more confident on offense, especially, down the final stretch of the season.

And Clifford had what felt like a quietly great game. He scored, rebounded, facilitated, and played solid defense. Much like Raynaud, his confidence looked through the roof tonight. He was smooth and got to his spots all night, and add on a team-high seven assists, and it shows how many different ways Clifford can affect the game.

Without a true young star on the roster, the Kings are going to have to rely on a team-centric approach until a clear star lands on the roster. Yes, the Kings pulled into a tie with the Utah Jazz for the draft lottery, but at least it was the young players leading the charge tonight. In a season where building culture and identity was the main goal, that is still (arguably) the best possible outcome for the Kings.