For those unfamiliar with the ever-changing parade schedule, the Monday before Mardi Gras week is usually pretty quiet. New Orleans is nursing a hangover after a weekend reserved for the Krewes of Femme Fatale and Mad Hatters. It's a calm before the storm, a human hurricane with seven straight days of meandering floats and bar-hopping tourists pouring money into the Crescent City.
Brandon Ingram filled the void with a historic performance in the Smoothie King Center, leading the New Orleans Pelicans to a 138-100 win over the visiting Toronto Raptors. The Pelicans have flaws, but also plenty to build on after their latest win. For instance, a breakdown of Ingram's performance suggests a stat line of 41 points, nine assists, and six rebounds on can be replicated.
Brandon Ingram, Pelicans feel out first half with comfortable lead
The Raptors were on the second night of a back-to-back on Monday, but credit the Pelicans for taking care of business early and feeding the hot hand. Brandon Ingram aced the assignment with 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting to go along with five rebounds and four assists heading into halftime. Willie Green did not mince words when describing a record-setting night.
“Dominant performance by Brandon,” Green boasted. “When he shoots the ball like that, he's capable of doing it night in and night out. It puts the game away, and that's what he did. We've been on all our guys to shoot more threes, B.I. especially. When we shoot the ball like that, it's going to be tough to stop us.”
The Pelicans know their flaws, but dropping another winnable game was never a possibility Monday night. Ingram opened the scoring for New Orleans to tie the game at two and the home team never relinquished the lead. The bucket came from an elbow jumper made possible by a CJ McCollum handoff and Jonas Valanciunas screen, freeing the mid-range maestro to launch.
https://streamable.com/ov2bpp
Ingram increased the lead to 10-2 by grabbing a rebound, advancing the ball, and getting an early entry pass to Zion Williamson. Toronto collapsed on Williamson with a double-team but left Ingram wide open beyond the arc for a smooth three-pointer. His next attempt was a rushed triple at the eight-minute mark, but another elbow jumper 80 seconds later pushed the Pelicans' lead to 19-8. McCollum was credited with a second assist to Ingram and everything seemed to be working early on.
A missed 19-foot jumper from the right elbow at the 5:51 mark was rebounded by New Orleans. Just less than two minutes later, Ingram caught and stepped into a nothing-but-net three-pointer from the right wing, then a nine-foot floater fell as the game clock read 2:31. Ingram checked out with 52 seconds remaining in the first quarter with 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
https://streamable.com/oyu6z4
Ingram returned to the court with 6:50 left in the half. He nailed two 15-foot baseline jumpers with just over four minutes remaining in the second, another with 1:40 on the clock, and another with 36 seconds left. Ingram assisted Williamson's layup to open the third quarter, then the floodgates opened and history was made.
Historic third quarter secures New Orleans win
Ingram sank a three-pointer 75 seconds into the second half to open up a 20-point lead over the Raptors. A 13-footer from the left baseline kept the North Carolina native perfect for the half, though a three-pointer a few plays later was off the mark. Valanciunas grabbed another offensive rebound and the Pelicans ended the possession with a McCollum three-pointer. The lead was pushed to 80-56 and the game was all but over.
Fans who stuck around through the entire third quarter were in for a treat, though. Ingram took over with 3:05 remaining, dropping in the first of five three-pointers on five consecutive possessions. Every 30-50 seconds the Smoothie King Center faithful were screaming in celebration. A sixth three-pointer at the buzzer fell short.
It would be the end of the night for Ingram, who got a well-deserved standing ovation at the break after becoming the first player in NBA history to score at least 40 points, drain eight or more threes and shoot 75% from the field while not committing a single turnover. Ingram made New Orleans history, too, his 41 points setting a new team record for points scored through three quarters.
The first three of the streak was a simple pick-and-roll action with Larry Nance Jr. Both Toronto defenders ducked under and Ingram took advantage of the easy look. The second came with Ingram leading the break and pulling up from the top of the key. The next was thanks to Jose Alvarado swinging the extra pass to Ingram's pump-faking, side-stepping hot hand. Nance Jr. set another great screen to give Ingram space for the fourth. An off-ball action with McCollum led to the fifth, assisted by Alvarado.
Ingram did not play a minute during the fourth quarter. The chase for a 50- or 60-point night could wait for another day—a closer game, perhaps. There was nothing left to prove and it almost looked easy. There was nothing overly complex about the game-plan ,either, suggesting there are concepts Brandon Ingram and the Pelicans can build on over the last 32 games of the regular season.
Follow Us
Subscribe