[Game] 55/82: Kings @ Pelicans 09 FEB 2026, 5pm PT/8pm ET

It's National Pizza Day! What's your favorite pizza topping (up to 3)?


  • Total voters
    30
  • This poll will close: .

Mr. S£im Citrus

KingsFans.com's resident Hardcore Casual
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Sacramento Kings 12-42 (3-23 Away) @ New Orleans Pelicans 14-40 (8-19 Home)
09 February 2026, 5pm PT/8pm ET
Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana

Last 5:

Pelicans 2-3 Kings 0-5

Series:
Tied 0-0


Game Preview:
Kings hope to avoid unfortunate franchise history against Pelicans (NBA.com)

Availability:
Broadcast: NBA League Pass, NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM


Box Score (via ESPN.com)

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Injury Report (as of 3pm ET):
Pelicans:
Dejounte Murray - OUT (Achilles)


Kings:
De'Andre Hunter - OUT (eye)
Zach LaVine - OUT (finger)
Malik Monk - OUT (undisclosed illness)
Keegan Murray - OUT (ankle)
Domantas Sabonis - OUT (back)





Referee Assignments:
Marc Davis (#8 - Crew Chief), Mousa Dagher (#28 - Referee), Suyash Mehta (#82 - Umpire). Forty years combined experience.



Mister Slim Says:

Kings will try to avoid setting a new Sacramento-era record for most consecutive losses when they head to New Orleans tonight. There has been much lamenting about Sacramento having one of the most difficult strengths of schedule (if not the most difficult) through the first 50 or so games. This can be attributed to a couple of things:
  1. The Sacramento Kings are one of three teams in the NBA that has not yet played the New Orleans Pelicans, and
  2. The Sacramento Kings are the only team in the NBA that doesn't get to play the Sacramento Kings.

With three veterans and their newly acquired trade acquisition all on the injury report, Sacramento's youth movement appears to be in full swing. Heavy minutes should be in store for Cardwell, Clifford and Raynaud the rest of the way (and hopefully Carter, too). Meanwhile, the Pelicans have no incentive to tank since, if they finish with a worse record than Milwaukee, their pick conveys to the Hawks. With Zion Williamson apparently finally healthy, having now played in 27 consecutive games for the first time in his career, the Pelicans may be motivated to win and show themselves to be a team with upside.

(Keep) Playing the kids.
 
Pepperoni or pineapple and pepperoni.

I guess I won't turn down a meat lover's with sausage or something else but that's really all I'm going to order above.
 
Eventually, the Kings will win another game again. With Doug Christie coaching, it's anybody's guess when, though, especially with Keegan and Domantas missing on so many nights.

I would rather watch the Winter Olympics.
 
linguica.

The pelicans fully healthy can play so I expect a loss. Their record is somewhat a factor of injury, and for the tank it’s good we have 3 games against them looking to be healthy
 
As someone of Italian-American background, I have opinions re: pizza and its toppings. That said, I'm honestly not much of a traditionalist, and if I were to set aside the classic Margherita to give a more adventurous answer... I actually adore Indian pizza. A chicken tikka masala riff on pizza is just 🤌, topped with cilantro and red onion.
 
As someone of Italian-American background, I have opinions re: pizza and its toppings. That said, I'm honestly not much of a traditionalist, and if I were to set aside the classic Margherita to give a more adventurous answer... I actually adore Indian pizza. A chicken tikka masala riff on pizza is just 🤌, topped with cilantro and red onion.
I don't know if they still make it, but one of my uncles used to periodically bring an Indian-style pizza from Lamppost Pizza that was so freaking good. If you haven't had it yet, it might be worth a shot (that is, if you live in the area and/or have a Lamppost Pizza within striking distance).

https://www.lamppost-backstreet.com/

I don't see it listed anywhere on their menu, and it might've just been one of those specialty items that they can make that is not listed on their menu, so it might be worth a shot asking them.

And, of course, this might just be something that you have had in your life, and I am not really giving you any new information...:)
 
Sausage was my top pick. Not as its own pizza topping, but as a combination with others. It’s especially great with vegetables. I still dream about sausage and rapini pizza at Pizzaiolo in Oakland.
 
I don't know if they still make it, but one of my uncles used to periodically bring an Indian-style pizza from Lamppost Pizza that was so freaking good. If you haven't had it yet, it might be worth a shot (that is, if you live in the area and/or have a Lamppost Pizza within striking distance).

https://www.lamppost-backstreet.com/

I don't see it listed anywhere on their menu, and it might've just been one of those specialty items that they can make that is not listed on their menu, so it might be worth a shot asking them.

And, of course, this might just be something that you have had in your life, and I am not really giving you any new information...:)

I no longer live in the region, but I used to frequent a Chicago's Pizza location in Sacramento. Confusing name, as its specialty is not "Chicago style" pizza, but Indian pizza. For proper Chicago style, it was always Zelda's for me (RIP 😢).
 
A poll that is sure to attract plenty of interest!

I voted for pepperoni and "you left out", with my "you left out" actually counting for two toppings, salami and bacon (real bacon, not "Canadian"). Sausage and bell peppers kinda got the shaft as they come in more like #4 and #5. In general, I'm meat, meat, meat, more meat, and yeah, you should throw some bell peppers on for a little twist. Onions work as well.

Over the years, mushrooms have moved from "get those off my pizza!" to "sure, that's fine if it's on there" to "at the unlimited topping places I'll throw some in on purpose", so there's that.

I will also declare at least tentatively for Team Pineapple. Pineapple on pizza is fine, but it only really shines as a foil to heavy grease/heavy salt. So while the classic Hawaiian doesn't really do it for me (low grease/low salt in the ham), pepperoni and pineapple is much better and bacon and pineapple is an elite combo. Still, bacon and pineapple is kind of sui generis - like, I probably wouldn't care to add pineapple to a "meat lovers" pizza. But we used to have a place in town where the #1 bang for your buck was hands down bacon and pineapple.
 
A poll that is sure to attract plenty of interest!

I voted for pepperoni and "you left out", with my "you left out" actually counting for two toppings, salami and bacon (real bacon, not "Canadian"). Sausage and bell peppers kinda got the shaft as they come in more like #4 and #5. In general, I'm meat, meat, meat, more meat, and yeah, you should throw some bell peppers on for a little twist. Onions work as well.

Over the years, mushrooms have moved from "get those off my pizza!" to "sure, that's fine if it's on there" to "at the unlimited topping places I'll throw some in on purpose", so there's that.

I will also declare at least tentatively for Team Pineapple. Pineapple on pizza is fine, but it only really shines as a foil to heavy grease/heavy salt. So while the classic Hawaiian doesn't really do it for me (low grease/low salt in the ham), pepperoni and pineapple is much better and bacon and pineapple is an elite combo. Still, bacon and pineapple is kind of sui generis - like, I probably wouldn't care to add pineapple to a "meat lovers" pizza. But we used to have a place in town where the #1 bang for your buck was hands down bacon and pineapple.

Agreed, but if you really wanna go crazy try bacon, pineapple, and jalapeños!

Source: a guy who just had that on a pizza for noon breakfast
 
Depends on the style:

Neapolitan- Margherita is still the king of all pizza in my eyes

Chicago tavern- fennel sausage and giardiniera

Detroit- probably cheese but pepperoni and jalapeños is a close second

New York or New Haven- cheese
 
Depends on the style:

Neapolitan- Margherita is still the king of all pizza in my eyes

Chicago tavern- fennel sausage and giardiniera

Detroit- probably cheese but pepperoni and jalapeños is a close second

New York or New Haven- cheese
What/which style(s) of pizza is/are your favorite(s) to make?
 
Agreed, but if you really wanna go crazy try bacon, pineapple, and jalapeños!

Source: a guy who just had that on a pizza for noon breakfast
Haven't had that particular combo, but jalapeños are a good call. Solid topping, though at this point in my life topping density for jalapeños would need to be a bit lower than what you can pull off for other standard toppings. 3-4 a slice I could probably deal with, but a nuclear handful would do a number on me.
 
I voted for bell peppers, olives, and mushrooms. If I'm going for a traditional red sauce pizza those are the only three must-haves. I'd typically add some kind of meat to all the veggies but it doesn't much matter to me what the meat is and the only pizza I generally will avoid is something with only meat. Even the classic pepperoni and cheese doesn't really do it for me unless I can get a nice big salad on the side.

Slim's comments about our strength of schedule being affected by not having faced the Pelicans yet this season are a little ironic considering in the 2023-2024 season the Kings went 0 for 6 against the Pelicans including getting eliminated form the playoffs vs. a New Orleans squad without Zion. That Kings team went 47-31 against the rest of the league (counting the play-in win over Golden State) which is a 49-50 win pace. Including that play-in win over the Kings, the Pelicans won 50 games that season. Just a reminder of how far both teams have fallen in less than two years.
 
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