Without Zion Williamson, Pelicans knock off Kings, clinch No. 8 seed in the West

Ingram wasn't alone. Fellow starter Jonas Valaciunas also had a huge game, finishing with 19 points and 12 rebounds. 

Meanwhile, guard Trey Murphy III played 43 minutes, recording 16 points on 6-for-12 shooting with eight rebounds and six assists on the night. 

Likewise, the Pelicans received a huge boost off the bench from forwards Larry Nance Jr., Naji Marshall and guard Jose Alvarado, who provided energy on both ends of the floor while combining for 34 points. 

The Pelicans' focus now turns to a first-round matchup with the Western Conference's No. 1 seed, the Oklahoma City Thunder, beginning Sunday at 9:30 ET. Aside from a 107-83 blowout loss in January, two of the three contests between the two teams were decided by single digits. 

The Thunder finished 57-25, the second-best mark in the NBA behind the Eastern Conference's Boston Celtics (64-18). However, New Orleans may prefer taking on OKC rather than drawing the defending champions and No. 2-seeded Denver Nuggets in the opening round. 

At least one person believes the Pelicans can pull off the upset, with ESPN's Kendrick Perkins saying they have a "legit shot" even without star Zion Williamson. The former No. 1 pick left the loss to the Lakers with a left hamstring injury after notching 40 points, and his status moving forward is up in the air. 

On Friday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Williamson would be evaluated again "in (the) coming weeks," all but taking him out of the first round.