Sabonis had 27 and Kings rally from 20 down to beat Pelicans 123-118

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Domantas Sabonis had 27 points and 16 rebounds for his NBA-leading 46th double-double of the season and the Sacramento Kings overcame a 20-point deficit for a 123-118 victory over New Orleans on Saturday night that extended the Pelicans’ losing streak to eight games.

Zach LaVine added 22 points in his best game for the Kings since being acquired in a trade from the Chicago Bulls last week. Keegan Murray had 19 points with eight rebounds.

Zion Williamson scored a season-high 40 points for New Orleans, CJ McCollum had 31 points while Trey Murphy III scored 20.

The game began as if it might be a blowout but ended in a flourish.

New Orleans, which led 29-9 less than nine minutes into the first quarter, trailed most of the fourth quarter and got within 121-118 on a pair of free throws by McCollum with 15.2 seconds remaining.

Jonas Valanciunas, acquired by the Kings at the trade deadline, made two free throws to help secure the win.

Pelicans: The backcourt tandem of McCollum and Jose Alvarado combined for 36 points, 12 assists and four steals, making it difficult for the Kings to double-team Williamson.

Kings: It was another shaky night as coach Doug Christie tries to integrate the newcomers into his system. On the plus side, LaVine was more aggressive and on the attack than he was in his first two games with Sacramento.

After Sabonis picked up his fourth foul with 4 1/2 minutes left in the third, the Kings closed the quarter on a 22-9 run.

The Pelicans made 14 3-pointers, matching their most over the past nine games.

Pelicans: End their four-game road trip on Monday night against Oklahoma City.

Kings: Face the Mavericks in Dallas on Monday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) drives past New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)

New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) reacts after an official's call during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)

New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) dunks over Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, left, is guarded by Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)

Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray, left, is guarded by New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)

New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi, left, and Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis battle for the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday fired off another warning to the government of Cuba as the close ally of Venezuela braces for potential widespread unrest after Nicolás Maduro was deposed as Venezuela's leader.

Cuba, a major beneficiary of Venezuelan oil, has now been cut off from those shipments as U.S. forces continue to seize tankers in an effort to control the production, refining and global distribution of the country's oil products.

Trump said on social media that Cuba long lived off Venezuelan oil and money and had offered security in return, “BUT NOT ANYMORE!”

“THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO!” Trump said in the post as he spent the weekend at his home in southern Florida. “I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.” He did not explain what kind of deal.

The Cuban government said 32 of its military personnel were killed during the American operation last weekend that captured Maduro. The personnel from Cuba’s two main security agencies were in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, as part of an agreement between Cuba and Venezuela.

“Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years,” Trump said Sunday. “Venezuela now has the United States of America, the most powerful military in the World (by far!), to protect them, and protect them we will.”

Trump also responded to another account’s social media post predicting that his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, will be president of Cuba: “Sounds good to me!” Trump said.

Trump and top administration officials have taken an increasingly aggressive tone toward Cuba, which had been kept economically afloat by Venezuela. Long before Maduro's capture, severe blackouts were sidelining life in Cuba, where people endured long lines at gas stations and supermarkets amid the island’s worst economic crisis in decades.

Trump has said previously that the Cuban economy, battered by years of a U.S. embargo, would slide further with the ouster of Maduro.

“It’s going down,” Trump said of Cuba. “It’s going down for the count.”

A person watches the oil tanker Ocean Mariner, Monrovia, arrive to the bay in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

President Donald Trump attends a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)