LOS ANGELES – The New Orleans Pelicans have had to play the majority of the 2019-20 NBA season without highly touted rookie Zion Williamson. The Duke product went down with a knee injury that cost him the first few months of his rookie campaign, but now he's back and making quite an impression playing alongside All-Star forward Brandon Ingram.

In his fourth year in the league, Ingram is having his best season yet, earning All-Star honors for the first time while also becoming one of the better scorers in the NBA. Ingram put that scoring ability on display against his former team on Tuesday night, dropping 34 points on the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center.

Although it wasn't enough to get the best of LeBron James and the top-seeded Lakers, Ingram and Zion put on a show with a combined 63 points. Williamson talked about his budding chemistry with his All-Star teammate after the game, and how he knew the two getting on the same page on the basketball floor was simply a matter of time.

“I think it was only a matter of time,” Zion said of his on-court connection with Ingram. “Eleven, 12, 13 games in, the chemistry was eventually going to be found, and I think we're finding it.”

At this point in the season, the Pelicans are trying to do enough to clinch a playoff spot in the highly competitive Western Conference. New Orleans has a shot at being the eighth seed in the West and, as a result, would likely face the Lakers in the first round.

Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry also chimed in on the chemistry of the two rising stars and their unselfish style of play.

“Oh, I think they're going to be fine,” Gentry said of his dynamic Pelicans duo. “Both of those guys are unselfish guys, and they play for the betterment of the team. I thought they did a good job. I thought we did a good job. We played, I thought, with a lot of confidence against … I mean, there may be a better team in the NBA, but we'll see. I think they're deep. I think they added some guys that's going to help them also, and they've got the best player in basketball, in my opinion.”

Even if New Orleans misses the postseason this year, the Pelicans still have a very bright future ahead with these two star players leading the way. Williamson and Ingram could very well become one of the best duos in the NBA in the near future as long as they stay healthy and the team's brass keep them together.