NEW ORLEANS -- Brandon Ingram scored 24 points, Jonas Valanciunas added 19 points and 12 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans booked a spot in the NBA playoffs with a 105-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings in a play-in tournament elimination game Friday night.
The Pelicans won without leading scorer Zion Williamson, who strained his left hamstring right as he reached the 40-point mark in a play-in loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
Undaunted, New Orleans used a balanced approach to improved to 8-5 this season without Williamson in the lineup.