Pelicans vs. Nuggets: Ingram's Golden Chance To Shine
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New Orleans, La.- Having missed the first two games between these Western Conference foes, Brandon Ingram will finally get a chance to lead the New Orleans Pelicans (26-25) against the Denver Nuggets (36-14). Ingram averaged over 25 points per game against the NBA MVP last year and will look to exploit those same matchups.
Willie Green will have Ingram and CJ McCollum available to lead the rotations. Dyson Daniels (right ankle sprain), E.J. Liddell (right knee ACL injury recovery), and Zion Williamson (right hamstring strain) are all listed as out.
Compared to a few weeks ago, this is a relatively healthy roster missing only one key contributor. However, Williamson's absence is felt more than most and weighs heavy on this roster. Ingram and McCollum have been playing in tandem but Green might look to stagger their minutes a bit more to spark the offense, which craters when both veterans are sitting on the bench.
That extra space to work and knock off rust also give Ingram the perfect opportunity to have a breakout game under little pressure. New Orleans is the underdog traveling to one of the toughest road games of the season. The Pelicans can steal a win though, especially if Denver is shorthanded as well.
Jamal Murray (left knee; injury management) is questionable. Collin Gillespie (right lower leg; fracture) and Jack White (left abductor; strain) are out for the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic has been in and out of the rotations recently but is not listed on the injury report.
Willy Hernangomez does not play significant minutes often, but when he does, it is usually against the Jokic. The reigning Eurobasket MVP has been on the court for 19 or more minutes just four times this season. He's done so twice in two games against Denver, averaging 12.0 points and 7.0 rebounds. The Pelicans are plus-33 with the Spanish national team patrolling the paint.
- When: January 31, 2023, @ 9 PM CST
- Where: Pepsi Arena Denver, CO
- Watch: TNT
- Listen: 99.5 WRNO
Herb Jones has been hit-and-miss in trying to keep Jamal Murray (questionable, left knee injury management) quiet. Murray missed 11 shots (6/17) on December 4 but made 11/21 (25 points) on January 24 victory. Jokic will flirt with a triple-double almost every night. Denying Murray and the rest of the supporting cast easy looks will be the priority for the Pelicans.
Jose Alvarado put up 38 points on 8/11 shooting from beyond the three-point arc in a 121-106 early December win for the Pelicans. Jokic nailed a last-second dagger to steal a road win just one week ago. Now the series shifts to the thin air of Colorado, where the Nuggets are 22-4 and sixth in home defense with a 109.7 rating.
With both teams trying to break losing streaks, it will be interesting to see how things will play out in the Rocky Mountain altitude. Considering the first two meetings, another nail-biting battle seems to be in the works.
Expected Starting Lineups:
Denver: Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
New Orleans: Jose Alvarado, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Naji Marshall, Jonas Valanciunas
