Ingram's Big Night Powers Pels Past Portland
At the end of last season, it seemed as if Brandon Ingram was on the verge of joining the NBA's elite.
This season hasn't gone how Ingram, or anyone else for that matter, expected it to.
So, with his team facing a fifth consecutive loss, B.I. put together his finest game of the season.
Ingram scored a season-high 40 points, while adding six boards, five assists, and two steals in leading the Pelicans to a 121-110 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
With the win, New Orleans was able to maintain its hold on the tenth seed in the ever-changing Western Conference playoff race.
CJ McCollum added 24 points and seven assists, with just two turnovers. Jaxson Hayes came off the bench to score 15 points in just under 16 minutes, his first double-digit scoring performance since Jan. 20. Hayes was solid defensively as well, collecting two blocks and two steals.
Damian Lillard scored a game-high 41 points, but the Pelicans didn't allow Dame to get a single dime. It was his first game this season without an assist.
Defensively the Pelicans did the job, especially in defending the three. Portland was a modest 11-of-38 from beyond the arc (.289). The Pelicans are 13-7 this season when they hold an opponent under 30 percent from deep.
They also improved to 20-5 when allowing 110 points or less.
On this night Willie Green was able to get more of a "team" performance. The Pelicans weren't perfect, but they were efficient. They competed for four quarters and won two of them, something that had been disturbingly rare as of late.
"This was a super must win," said McCollum. "(We showed) more desperation than we probably had all season. We finally delivered. Now we've got to stack up good execution and game-planning."
While the overall performance of the team was encouraging, the story of the night was Ingram.
He stepped up when his team needed him most, and he closed.
B.I. was at his best in the fourth quarter, making 4-of-5 shots for nine points and handing out three assists.
Portland tried every defense possible to slow him down, but Ingram could not, and would not be stopped.
After a disastrous February, the Pelicans hope that this month signals a new start and ignites a real postseason push.
Last season, Ingram was at his best in March. He averaged 29.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists, while shooting almost 60 percent from the floor.
"He dominates, and that's what we need from him," said Green of his star forward. "He's one of the better players in this league and we put the ball in his hands."
Ingram did dominate, and he'll have to continue to do so with the rest of the roster filled with injuries, inexperience, and in some cases both.
Now the Pelicans will travel down the Pacific coast to visit the defending champion Golden State Warriors. The Pelicans have won both meetings against Golden State so far this season, though it should be a much different Warriors team that they see on Friday night.
Hopefully, the Pelicans can replicate the effort they displayed on Wednesday night.
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- NBA Championship Formula Revisited
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