The Sacramento Kings picked up their second straight win and 21st of the season on Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans, led by a strong effort by rookie big man Maxime Raynaud.
Despite trailing by as many as 17 points, the Kings stormed back to pull off the 117-113 win to defend their home court. Raynaud finished with 28 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, shooting 11-14 from the field and 6-7 from the free-throw line. After the game, Raynaud made it known that he believes he is the best rookie big man in the NBA.
“I do think I’m the best big in the rookie class,” Raynaud said. “When that comes to this, I think I’ve proven it against other pretty good bigs who got drafted ahead of me. Definitely, that’s something I want to show off. … I think at some point, the stats don’t lie. … I think it’s pretty clear now.”