Brandon Ingram's Statement After Pelicans-Suns

The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Phoenix Suns 126-124 on Thursday to finally end their nine-game losing streak. New Orleans welcomed the return of Brandon Ingram, who missed the last five games with calf soreness. Ingram scored 21 points in the third quarter to give New Orleans a lead it held on to the rest of the game.

Herb Jones also returned to the lineup after missing the last 18 games with a shoulder sprain. In his return, Jones scored 12 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished five assists. More importantly, he helped play tough defense on Suns guard Devin Booker, including blocking his shot on the game's final possession.

New Orleans forward Brandon Ingram spoke postgame about how important Jones is to the Pelicans.

"That's our heart and soul," Ingram said in reference to Jones. "Communicating on the defensive end and offensive end, having his IQ... that's just Herb."

"That's our heart and soul."

B.I. on having Herb back pic.twitter.com/5TSXGEUQjI
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 6, 2024

The bond his teammates share with him is real. On Wednesday, Jones was honored by his high school alma mater with a jersey retirement. Every Pelicans teammate showed up to support Jones and show the camaraderie they have off the court. New Orleans hopes that chemistry, as well as health, will help them dig out of their early-season struggles.

New Orleans improved to 5-18, but it still has a long way to go to compete for a Play-In Tournament spot later in the season. Thursday's win was a small step to building momentum for a run this year, but they need to string multiple victories together. The Pelicans host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday at the Smoothie King Center.

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