Dylan Cardwell Blocked Zion Williamson Twice in 8 Seconds and the Kings Won't Let You Forget It
The Sacramento Kings just sent the New Orleans Pelicans to their seventh straight loss, and the hero of the story wasn't even supposed to be there. Dylan Cardwell, the Kings' center coming off the bench, made two absolutely massive blocks in the final moments to seal a 117-113 victory on Friday night at Golden 1 Center, and honestly, the Pelicans saw their season slip further away in real time.
Cardwell's Clutch Defense Saves the Day
With 10.7 seconds left and the Kings clinging to a two-point lead, Zion Williamson drove hard at the rim. Cardwell, already sitting at five personal fouls and one foul away from fouling out, took the risk anyway. He met Williamson at the basket and delivered a stiff rejection that sent a message: not today. Eight seconds later, Jeremiah Fears tried the same thing, but Cardwell tracked him down again. The second block was so clean that video review overturned an intentional foul call to confirm it was actually a block. Five blocks, eight rebounds, six points. That's the kind of clutch performance that wins games when everything is on the line.
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Cardwell wasn't working alone. Maxime Raynaud absolutely went to work from the floor, shooting 11-for-14 and finishing with 28 points. Clifford added 23 points of his own. But late in the game, it was the role players who stepped up. Devin Carter blocked a three-pointer with 37 seconds left to preserve a 114-111 lead, then forced a turnover by drawing a charge earlier in that possession. Daeqwon Plowden capped his 17-point bench contribution by making three free throws that gave Sacramento the lead for good with 2:37 remaining.
New Orleans' season just keeps getting worse. Trey Murphy III and Williamson, their two leading scorers all season, combined for just 26 points on a night when the Pelicans squandered an 11-point halftime lead. Jeremiah Fears stepped up off the bench with 28 points, and Saddiq Bey added 20, but it wasn't enough. The Kings improve to 21-57 while the Pelicans fall to 25-53 and watch another game slip away.
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