The New Orleans Pelicans lost their third straight game with a 111-109 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night. The loss drops the Pelicans to 5-21 on the year, the worst record in the Western Conference. New Orleans led 55-53 at halftime, but a strong third quarter from Kings forward DeMar DeRozan gave the Kings a lead they wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the game.

The Pelicans cut the Kings’ lead to 2 points with less than 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter, but a missed shot by Dejounte Murray allowed the Kings a narrow victory. New Orleans decided not to call a timeout as the game clock expired. Pelicans head coach Willie Green explained to reporters why he decided to go through with the game.

“I just let him go. I’m pleased with his ability to make those plays at the end of games,” Green said of his decision to let Murray shoot at the end. “I probably could have called a timeout at the end, but that allows them to get their defense in order. Some of our best offenses are when we rebound the ball and put teams on their heels.”

The turnovers were a killer for the Pelicans, who committed 17 players on the night. With Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson out due to injuries, the margin of error for New Orleans is very small. Both players are out indefinitely, so the Pelicans will have to play near-perfect basketball to win.

New Orleans travels to Indiana to take on the Pacers on Sunday.

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